


Magic and Madness

by CookieKay



Category: Yuri!!! on ICE, Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Age Old Secrets, Alternate Universe - Magic, Ambush, Angsty Yuri, Anxiety, Attack, Avalanche, Avoidance, Awkward, Best Friends, Blood and Gore, Bonding, Boys In Love, Burning, Cave, Chris is Shameless, Cutting, Doctor Altin, F/F, F/M, Fictional World, Fighting, Flirting, Gay, Getting to Know Each Other, Guilt, History, Hurry Up Already, Infection, Interruption, Kidnapping, Leaving Home, Life on the Road, M/M, Magic, Magic AU, Magical Violence, Magicians, Magicians in Hiding, Near Death Experience, Newfound Gay Attraction, Nightmares, Phichit is the Best Friend Everyone Needs, Quality Time, Rebellion, Reconciliation, Reconnaissance, Rescue, Royalty, Secret Mission, Secrets, Sexual Assault, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, So Much Travel So Little Time, Spelunking, Support, Supportive Phichit Chulanont, Supportive Victor Nikiforov, Time Jump, Torture, Trauma, Twenty questions, Village life, Violence, War, We're Still Going, What is going on, Winter, and the plot thickens, baby steps, delerium - Freeform, everyone is a badass, friends - Freeform, friends who cuddle, get together already, graphic death, inner thoughts, life and death, non-con, physical violence, recon, sleuthing, time skip, travelling, yuri!!! on ice - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2019-10-13 13:11:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 43
Words: 140,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17488655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CookieKay/pseuds/CookieKay
Summary: After humanity declared war on all magic users, no one dared to speak of the forbidden craft, and any magicians still around to practice their art were forced deep into hiding if they valued their lives. 50 years have passed and the hunt for any surviving magicians continues. Rumors have spread that every once and a while a magic user might pop up, but then they are never seen or heard from again.Yuuri and his family live in the small town of Hasu, running an inconspicuous restaurant and pretending to be normal. The Katsuki’s seem like good, hardworking, people, but one day, a band of travelers stop to rest in the peaceful town, and all of a sudden, the ordinary, becomes extraordinary.





	1. Malice and Mystery

**Author's Note:**

> In honour of my birthday, I have decided to begin posting my very first fanfiction! I already have everything planned out, a good portion of the story written, and a lot more to go, so I hope everyone enjoys the ride!

As per usual, it is a quiet morning. A lone, hooded figure stands in the center of a large field. Taking a deep breath in, they still, and watch as the cool air condenses around them when they let out their hot breath. It is a cold, dark morning, with nothing but the sound of a small breeze rustling the trees surrounding the clearing. Dew drops are glistening on the lush green grass as dark clouds pass by overhead. Anyone with the right sense of mind can tell that the scene gives off some ominous foreboding of a storm yet to come and would head home, but for one individual, they feel at peace. Another normal day following the same normal routine, but what is normal for some is extraordinary to others. That is the sole reason only one person stands in the field, for if anyone was to witness the events that follow, who knows what would happen.

The once gentle wind suddenly picks up to dangerous speeds, and the trees are bending and swaying under the pressure of the invisible force. The clouds darken as they start rotating around the center of the field, and the lone being has not moved an inch. Just like the eye of a storm, it is eerily calm in a small radius around the figure, and the cloak falling gracefully from their shoulders barely shifts as the sudden storm worsens. Finally, as if waiting for the wind to reach a specific speed, the individual starts raising their arms in an outward arc from their body, palms facing the sky. As their arms draw higher, so do the little drops of dew. In an amazing spectacle, the once peaceful beads of water littering the ground now rise to the occasion, whirling around the epicenter and joining together to form a wall of rushing water. The hooded figure stops with their arms out in a T and takes a breath. Next they move to open their stance, placing their left foot behind them firmly on the ground, and at the same time bringing both arms to their front palms facing out. As if connected to the mysterious person's body, the water shifts simultaneously, moving from its protective wall into a concentrated sphere directly in front of them. 

As the ball of water settles into its designated place, the wind starts to slow, and as if starting a performance, the figure and the water begin to dance. Deliberate and intricate movements create a routine, almost like a bond, connecting the human to the water. As the graceful body maneuvers around the empty field, the water follows, twisting, turning and contorting its shape to the will of its master. Soon the movements become faster, and the water shifts violently in return. The dance turns into a series of quick, measured positions, and the liquid rapidly accommodates the changes. The individual spins on a dime while spreading their arms apart, creating a ring of small clusters of water, each no bigger than a baseball. With a quick flick of the wrist, the water shoots outwards at tremendous speeds, straight into the trees lining the forest. Each projectile hits the center of a solid, wooden trunk, with enough force to crack and dent each and every one. 

Silence echoes in the clearing. The wind returns to its gentle breeze, and the clouds continue to move on across the sky. Harsh, panting breaths create a constant stream of mist from the figure, now slightly hunched forward as exhaustion starts to settle in. The dance lasted longer than expected, and the big burst for the finale pushed their limits for the moment. As they stretch back and push out their arms, the hood finally slips from the top of their head, revealing short, messy, black hair, and an old pair of blue rimmed glasses. Face tilted up towards the sky and eyes closed, the man takes a few more deep breaths before a slow smile creeps onto his face. 

It feels good to be able to let loose for once. Due to certain laws forbidding magic, he has spent his life in hiding, staying on the down-low, but curiosity had eventually killed the cat. He always knew he could practice magic if he really wanted to learn, his mother told him as much, but it is a dangerous game to play considering the risks if he is caught. When he was young and impressionable, he was scared off by the horror stories that circled around his village. Old tales from years long ago, depicted magicians as something miraculous and awe inspiring, until a certain rebellious group tried to overthrow the rest of humanity, claiming magicians as a superior race. Villages were burned down, homes ransacked, and innocent families died at the hands of these monstrous beings. There were no survivors from any of the cities the group pillaged, and stories of the newly appointed ‘Cursed Ones’, spread quickly across the land. Rumors and accusations that all magic users were a threat to ordinary humans grew out of control, and soon a global ban of magic and a man-hunt for all magicians was underway. 

A lot of innocent people died trying to protect their families on both sides of the conflict. Non-magical people were informed of the danger and soldiers were bombarded with propaganda to gain their loyalty to the kingdom. Fear and mayhem spread quickly as the first ones to attack had the advantage. The Cursed Ones dropped off the radar when everyone was spiraling into a state of panic, but the uncertainty of whether or not other magicians were involved spread the bloodshed to those who believed they were safe. Some families were lucky enough to gain a smidgeon of warning before the raids started, and so they had to make the choice to either stand up and prove themselves, or run. 

Any magicians who lived through those horrible times went into hiding. There weren't many of them left, and contact between the families became nonexistent to keep each other safe. Magic users went completely off the grid, and an eerie sense of calm settled over the lands. For years no one even uttered the word magic, too scared that the mere mention of the forbidden art would cast suspicion on them and their families. 

This history explains why a young girl named Hiroko was only four years old when her family was persecuted for being magicians. Fortunately the majority of her family escaped, with the exception of her father, as he stayed behind to buy them time to run. After fleeing and wandering through the lands, they eventually settled in the small, far away village of Hasu. Soon after settling, they opened a small restaurant to avoid suspicion, where they lived for years with their heads down, always on the lookout for any pieces of information regarding magic. As she grew up, Hiroko met a young boy named Toshiya, and they fell madly in love. Gathering her resolve, she put all her faith in him the day she told him she was a magician, and thankfully, he loved her more than any law could change. With that, the two married, and soon they had a beautiful young girl and a newborn baby boy.

It has been almost 50 years since the magic prohibition began, and Yuuri Katsuki still can't comprehend that his mother lived through the horrors of her family being hunted. Hiroko taught both him, and his sister Mari, all of the magical information she learned herself when she was a young girl on the run, if not for the sake of historical family events and knowledge, then for the purpose of protection. Not all magic is the same, and learning to control your own is essential when in hiding in order to ensure that you avoid any sudden outbursts that could occur from inexperience.

So that is why Yuuri has found himself in the middle of an isolated field, hidden in the depths of a forest. Far away from prying eyes and exhausted from practicing this sacred forbidden magic. Life spent hiding his true nature is hard, but the tingle of magic at his fingertips and the sheer beauty and power that magic can create, is worth these secret early morning escapades.


	2. Everyday Life

The morning sun begins to break through the gloomy skies and peak through the trees. As Yuuri is walking through the forest, he takes his time to appreciate the small, warm, flecks of light, shimmering through the leaves above and onto his face. It’s not often that he gets much free time to himself, and so he plans to appreciate the slow meandering back home, enjoying the peaceful feeling of being alone. The breeze gently rushes through the empty spaces, and makes his cloak sway around him while his worn down, brown satchel, sits comfortably on his shoulder.

Cutting through the bushes isn’t the preferable way of travel through the forest, but that’s what he gets for trying to keep his practice field a secret. As he traverses through another dense thicket, he finally stumbles upon the dirt road that connects Hasu to the far away cities. Taking a quick glance both ways, he doesn’t spot anyone as far as the eye can see, and so he begins heading west. 

The sun is starting to get a little higher, and it must be getting close to noon by now. Mari is probably helping their mother cook, clean, and run the restaurant, and here Yuuri is strolling along, feeling a little guilty that he snuck off for some peace and quiet. Thinking he could at least do something to help out, he starts looking along the sides of the road and picking up any useful berries or mushrooms he can find, placing them carefully in his bag. 

After another half hour, he finally makes it back to the edge of town. The people here are always so warm and welcoming to his family, and Yuuri feels a sense of home as he walks through the minimal hustle and bustle of shops and families, running around to start their day. There is not much Hasu is known for other than it’s friendly atmosphere and the small group of hot-spring pools just north of town, but keeping a low profile is exactly what they need. Every now and again, some travelers or a caravan might stop in the village to resupply and take a nice relaxing bath, but otherwise, the simple village life never really changes. 

Passing by the all the little stores, the decadent aromas of freshly baked bread and confectionaries assault Yuuri’s nose. As tempting as it is to stop and grab one for the road, he’s already been gone far too long, and showing up four hours late with baked goods is not how he would like to die. Turning down a small side road, he heads towards the southeast corner of town when he finally spots home. Yutopia is a popular establishment in the town, running out of a large, traditional building, and nestled in between the trees at the edge of the forest. For his family, Yutopia is many things, a business, a livelihood, the product of years of hard work, but first and foremost, it is a sanctuary. 

As he steps through the threshold, the restaurant seems to be in a state of orderly chaos. He lithely maneuvers through customers having a lively brunch at each of the tables, and as he nears the back, he catches the eye of his sister, who immediately gives him a death glare. Guiltily giving a shy smile back, he quickly steps into the kitchen for reprieve. There he takes a deep breath in, letting all the familiar smells settle into his bones. Glancing to his left, he finds his mother, humming happily as she effortlessly organizes six new dishes ready to be served. Sparing a moment to eye the new intruder in her kitchen, her face breaks out into a wide grin. 

“Yuuri! Welcome home!”

Hiroko’s smile is infectious, and Yuuri effortlessly smiles back. 

“Sorry for not being here this morning to help with the rush. I didn’t expect it to be this busy.”

“Oh don’t worry yourself with such trivial things, we all survived a few hours without you.” Her bright eyes and calm demeanor put any concerns he might have to rest. “Although Mari might be a tad grumpy, she’s not actually mad. To be honest I never expected it to be this busy either, but it seems we have a couple of new caravans in town.”

Yuuri’s interest peaks at the mention of new people. He may be shy and a little bit awkward when forced into unwanted social situations, but he loves hearing news from outside of town, not to mention some of the crazy stories people bring with them. 

“Do you know how long they’re here for?”

Placing the last few garnishes on the remaining plates, Hiroko wipes her hands on her apron as she turns to her son. 

“I’m not sure. I think Mari overheard something about one or two staying for a few days or a week. If previous experience has anything to say about it, they’ve probably come a long way from where they started, and so they’ll likely take some time to rest before moving on.”

Yuuri hums thoughtfully as he starts unpacking his pickings from earlier. If they are staying for a few days, he’ll have more opportunity to meet some of them, and maybe he’ll learn something new or interesting about far away cities or get the chance to listen to epic tales of exaggerated proportions. Before he becomes too carried away in his own thoughts, the lack of a certain family member suddenly draws his attention and he quickly turns back towards his mother.

“Where’s dad?”

“I believe he went out to gather some more firewood so that we can stock up. With winter coming soon, we need as much as we can get in order to keep the house and restaurant running comfortably. He went down the back path into the forest early this morning if you wanted to go check up on him.”

“Alright. I also found some nice berries when I was out earlier and thought maybe you could bake them into a pie or tart as a special treat for everyone.”

“That’s a wonderful idea Yuuri! Since Mari hasn’t brought any new orders back it seems to be slowing down for the moment, so there’s no need for you to stay if you’d rather go help your dad.”

Yuuri smiles at his thoughtful mother, she always knew he isn’t much of a people person. 

“I think I will. Sorry again for leaving, I’ll make sure between the two of us, dad and I bring back a good share of firewood.” 

“Excellent! Oh! And take this to your father, he’s been working out there all morning and needs a break.” 

The older woman grabs a small, bundled up meal off the counter and hands the lunch to Yuuri. He nods and tucks it into his bag for safe keeping as he heads towards the back door. 

“Be careful!”

Yuuri can’t help the small smile that falls into place after hearing her concern.

“I will!” He replies, stepping out of the kitchen.

The noise of the rowdy guests from the front gradually becomes muffled as he nears the back door, and as soon as he steps outside, it seems to fade away entirely. One of the nice things about living in a house backing the woods, is that it is easy to pop out and immediately feel completely secluded, that and it makes for a quick escape if they ever need it. A dirt path begins at their back door, lined on both sides by their large garden, and it leads straight into the forest. Yuuri quickly steps onto the trail and starts walking, feeling ready for another workout, but this time without the magic.


	3. Chapter 3

Not too far into the woods, Yuuri comes across the normal area that he can usually find his father when they need to gather some wood. He takes a look around and sees a familiar satchel and wagon, but no sign of any person. He also spots an axe leaning against a far tree, ready for work but no one to use it. The scene is unusual. His dad has never strayed from his work before, but maybe something made him travel further in today. Shrugging off the oddity, he continues down the path that leads deeper into the woods.

 

* * *

 

  
The farther into the forest he walks, the more isolated Yuuri feels. He can no longer see any trace of the village, and only the sounds of the trees and the birds remain. It is strange to think his father went so far in just for some firewood, but maybe he had a good reason to stray from the usual spot. Determined that there is some logical answer, he presses on, at least thankful for the clouds clearing out and the sun shining brightly to illuminate his surroundings. There has to be some clue laying around, so he keeps his eyes peeled and his mind focused, hoping that at some point it will all come together.

 

* * *

 

  
It has to be nearing 2 o’clock in the afternoon now, and Yuuri still doesn’t have any inkling as to where his father wandered off to. Nerves begin to eat away at his resilience, and he can feel the panic start to prickle through his body next to the pleasant tingle of magic. The soothing bird song and sunshine creates a false sense of security as the worry settles in. To keep himself in check, Yuuri starts actively identifying the facts of the situation in his head.

‘ _Dad_ _was_ _at_ _home_ _this_ _morning_ _before_ _I_ _left_. _Mom_ _knows_ _he_ _went_ _to_ _go_ _chop_ _some_ _wood_ _for_ _the_ _stock_. _He_ _was_ _not_ _at_ _his_ _usual_ _spot_ , _but_ _his_ _axe_ , _bag_ , _and_ _wagon_ _were_ _all_ _accounted_ _for_ , _which_ _means_ _at_ _one_ _point he_ _was_ _here_. _Just_ _because_ _I_ _haven’t_ _found_ _him_ _yet_ , _doesn’t_ _mean_ _I_ _will_ _never_ _find_ _him_. _The_ _sun_ _is_ _still_ _up_ _and_ _I_ _have_ _lots_ _of_ _daylight_ _left_ _to_ _work_ _with_. _My_ _father_ _is_ _intelligent_ , _strong_ , _knows_ _the_ _area_ _well_ , _and_ _can_ _handle_ _himself_.’

Pairing his inner thoughts with some measured breathing, he continues on his way, repeating his thoughts as he walks.

 

* * *

 

  
Another half an hour goes by, and now Yuuri knows something is absolutely wrong. There is no way his father would walk almost two hours just for firewood, or for any other good reason without telling his family. Yuuri’s mind starts running through a million different scenarios, trying to come up with some reasonable explanation, but there are none that make sense. Allowing his resolve to falter gives his anxiety a proper chance to sneak in, and with it, all the ‘what if’ scenarios come rushing forth.

‘ _What_ _if_ _he_ _was_ _attacked_? _What_ _if_ _some_ _wild_ _animal_ _thought_ _he_ _was_ _some_ _kind_ _of_ _prey_? _What_ _if_ _he_ _fell_ , _twisted_ _his_ _ankle_ , _or_ _broke_ _his_ _leg?_ ’

Each suggestion comes faster than the last.

‘ _Does_ _he_ _have_ _water_? _I_ _know_ _he_ _doesn’t_ _have_ _any_ _food_ _so_ _what_ _if_ _he_ _goes_ _hungry_? _What_ _if_ _he_ _dies_ _because_ _I_ _can’t_ _find_ _him_? _What_ _if_ _he’s_ _already_ _dead_!?’

Yuuri’s breathing is becoming labored as there is still no sign, hint, clue, or heavenly message, to reassure him otherwise. He is quickly looking around, rapidly surveying the woods for any movement while his senses are in overdrive, and he’s listening for anything out of the ordinary when he hears it. Yuuri stills. The noise was too quick to be identified but then it happens again. It’s better than nothing, and much better than he anticipated, but it sounds like someone is grunting up ahead.

Yuuri quickly makes his way around the bend in the path and sees two men. One he quickly identifies as his father, sitting hunched over on a stump holding his leg, while the other man seems to be crouching next to him and examining his foot. The tension rushes out of his body at the sight of his father, and he hurries over, praising the gods that he’s alright. As he approaches, both men turn to face him, and as soon as their eyes connect his father smiles. Quick strides take him right up to his dad, and he kneels in front of him placing his hands on his legs.

“Thank god you’re alright! I was getting worried sick! Mom said you went to go stock up on firewood and I’ve been walking around looking for you for over two hours! What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“It’s okay, I’m alright.”

Toshiya’s gentle smile and calm demeanor puts Yuuri at ease for the moment.

“There’s no need to make such a fuss.”

“But how did you end up so far away from home? And did you hurt your leg? I saw you wincing as I was walking up the path.”

A warm smile spreads across his fathers face, and the man is obviously touched at the concern over his wellbeing.

“I didn’t plan on coming this far, but just as I reached my normal spot to start harvesting some wood, a large buck came wandering through the clearing. I figured we also need some hearty meat to keep the business going and the trees weren’t going anywhere, so I stepped away to hunt. I was too focused on being stealthy that I didn’t realize the cheeky bugger led me so far off the trail. At one point I took a bad step, tripped, and the buck got away. When I tried to get back up I could barely stand, plus I had no clue which way I came from. I’m lucky this gentleman found me struggling and led me back to the path, otherwise it might have taken a turn for the worse.”

Yuuri suddenly remembers the second man he blatantly ignored due to concern for his father, and he quickly whirls around to thank the stranger. Apparently the man had backed up when he approached, giving the two of them some space, so he stands up in order to meet the man face to face. As soon as he stands to his full height, he can’t even get any words out before he is pinned down by piercing green eyes, the colour practically matching the lush forest surrounding them. Giving a quick once over, he quickly assesses the rest of the man standing before him, two toned, brown and blonde hair, strong build, well maintained appearance, and a look that screams foreigner. Realizing he’s just standing there like an idiot, he quickly stammers out a line thanking him for finding his father, and just as quickly looks away from the heavy eye contact.

The man finally smiles and lets out a light chuckle, breaking some of the tension.

“No need to thank me, I’d like to think that anyone would have done the same.”

His deep baritone voice and the way he holds himself, gives off a sense of confidence constructed from the essence of maturity.

Yuuri gives a polite smile. “I’d like to think that too, but some people can be rather selfish.”

An indiscernible flash of emotion crosses the strangers face, but just as fast as it appears, it is gone. Thinking nothing of it, Yuuri reaches into his bag, pulling out the packaged lunch his mother made earlier and handing it to his father.

“I assume you’re pretty hungry so here’s what should have been your lunch.”

A fond laugh escapes the older man’s lips as he opens it up.

“Your mother knows me too well it seems.”

Yuuri watches his father as he begins to nibble on the food, grateful that he’s alright, but soon he turns back towards the strange man whose smile has yet to falter.

“I’m sorry, it seems we haven’t been properly introduced. Who might you be?”

“My apologies. My name is Christophe Giacometti, but you can just call me Chris. I’ve had the great fortune of meeting your father Toshiya, be it under mildly unpleasant circumstances, but I didn’t catch your name.”

“I’m Yuuri Katsuki, but just Yuuri is fine.”

The older man gives another friendly smile, “Alright, just Yuuri.”

Chris adds a wink to the end of his words, and the young man quickly diverts his gaze away to hide the flush of embarrassment filling his cheeks. The blonde is definitely confident and comfortable with himself, and he obviously knows he’s good looking, but that is unexplored territory for Yuuri. Clearing his throat, he diverts his train of thought by considering all of the worries that plagued his mind earlier. The situation could have been a lot worse, and he is eternally grateful to the handsome stranger that was kind enough to help a man lost in the woods, although, it is quite odd that a foreigner would be found so deep in the forest in the first place.

Skeptically eyeing Chris’ form, Yuuri scans the man in front of him once more.

“So Chris, why were you wandering around the woods so far in anyway? I know you’re not from our village, and as soon as the sun goes down it can be a dangerous place for someone who doesn’t know the area well.”

“I am actually part of one of the caravans that has stopped in your little town for a few days. We arrived early this morning, and after breakfast I decided to get better acquainted with the area. First I wandered around the shops, then I found myself circumnavigating the whole village, and next thing I know, I found a quaint path through the woods that enticed me all the way here.” He gives off another pleasant smile, trying to ease some of the noticeable scrutiny.

“You get around pretty quickly.” Yuuri retorts.

“You could say I’m motivated to explore and find new things.”

“A traveler interested in taking in the sights before you leave then?”

“Perhaps more of a traveler looking to meet some new people.”

Something about the exchange makes Yuuri question the man’s true motives. The answers he is giving seem too calculated to be casual conversation, almost like they’re rehearsed. His body language hasn’t changed, but the atmosphere definitely has, making it feel like he is alluding to something other than a leisurely visit. Reluctantly accepting the off-putting feeling, he glances towards the sky to judge the time.

“We should probably start heading back. We can save hunting for later and I’ll go out to grab some firewood after we get home.”

Yuuri quickly looks back to his father who has already eaten a good portion of his lunch, but any more and they might be walking back in the dark. Packing everything up, he helps the older man to his feet and tucks himself under one arm, attempting to take more weight off of the injured leg.

Toshiya gives him a warm smile and Yuuri starts feeling much better, with everything he was worrying about earlier fading into a distant memory at least for the time being. His number one priority is getting his father home safe and sound, and he’ll worry about this suspicious group of travelers once he’s had more time to think. As the sun continues its journey across the afternoon sky, the trio starts heading off on their long walk back towards the town.


	4. Home

With one injured man hobbling along, the trip home is taking much longer than the frantic walk out. By the time the three of them reach the back door of Yutopia, the sun is starting to slip behind the mountains, making the available light quickly fade from the sky. Breathing a sigh of relief, Yuuri is glad the returning trip didn’t have any other unexpected setbacks, and Chris helpfully holds the large door open as the two family members wiggle their way through the entrance.

 

Once inside, the trio heads straight up a set of stairs immediately to their right, entering the family’s personal living space above the restaurant so that Toshiya can finally sit down on a couch. The modest sitting area at the top of the stairs is warm and welcoming, with deep red walls and dark wooden floors providing a cozy and aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. After gently lowering the man onto the soft couch, Yuuri quickly leaves to fetch one of the first aid kits they keep around the house, returning only to settle on the lush, ornate, rug, in front of his father. Cautiously grabbing the older man’s foot, he gently pushes, pulls, and twists in different directions, testing the limits before his father starts feeling any pain.

 

Chris is standing patiently nearby waiting for the verdict, as he promised to stay and make sure they were alright before taking his leave. Passing the time, the man starts to look around the quaint room he is currently standing in, taking particular interest in the three large bookcases lining the western wall before moving to stare out the enormous bay window overlooking the forest.

 

After a few grunts and faces of displeasure from his father, Yuuri concludes that nothing is broken, no muscles are torn, and thankfully, the injury can be easily treated at home. He shuffles his position on the floor, being careful not to bump into the coffee table centered between the two, old couches that face each other in the middle of the room. Grabbing a simple piece of fabric from the kit, he begins to wrap Toshiya’s ankle, and as he works, he finds himself squinting as the last traces of natural light disappear from the space. Noticing the dramatic change in light, Chris helpfully takes out some matches in order to light the lamps located on two round, dark, wooden side tables on either end of the couch.

 

“Thanks…” Yuuri mumbles as he carefully pins the band of fabric into place.

 

“I don’t think it’s too bad, is it?” Toshiya asks optimistically.

 

Yuuri smiles reassuringly, “No, I think it’s just a mild ankle sprain. It should be fine with some good, old fashioned RICE.”

 

Confusion washes over Chris’ face.

 

“Rice? How will that help?”

 

Both father and son laugh before Yuuri replies.

 

“RICE is an acronym. It stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. It makes it easy to remember and it’s shorter to say, but it’s the best way to treat mild sprains and they happen more often than you’d think out here.”

 

Impressed by the neat, new tidbit, Chris hums and nods his head.

 

“Is there anything you might need before I get going? I should probably go meet up with my group since they were expecting me to get back a while ago, but if there is anything you might want help with, I won’t leave you hanging.”

 

Chris’ smile and words seem genuine, and so Yuuri and Toshiya both smile back.

 

“Thank you for your offer but we should be alright. Now that we’re home and I know he won’t be wandering off anytime soon,” Yuuri says, shooting a glance over at his dad, “we’ll be able to manage on our own.”

 

Finally standing up and taking a few steps forward, he holds out his hand and stares straight into cool, green, eyes.

 

“I am extremely grateful to you for finding my father. If there is anything we can do for you during your stay, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

 

A warm smile settles on both of the men’s faces as his offered hand is taken in a firm hold.

 

“I am just glad he is alright. There is no need for such formal offerings, but I may stop by with some friends for a good meal before we leave.”

 

“Then we will have a table ready and waiting for you.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

With another firm squeeze, the man finally lets go and takes a step back, glancing at both father and son before taking his leave.

 

“Take care you two!”

 

With a final wave, Chris heads back down the stairs and the two family members are finally alone. Yuuri turns his attention back to his father, and sees the man already maneuvering himself on the couch to be lying down, with his injured leg propped up on some decorative pillows. Deciding he’ll be okay for the moment, Yuuri hastily heads back downstairs to retrieve some ice and to fill in his family on what happened.

 

The dinner rush is in full swing when he walks into the kitchen. Hiroko looks like she hasn’t moved an inch from where he left her this morning, and Mari is once again busy attending to the tables out front. As always, as soon as someone enters her space, Yuuri’s mother glances over to see who it is, and upon recognizing her son, she immediately spins around with a look mixed between worry, relief, and happiness.

 

“Yuuri! My god, what happened to you? And where’s your father? I expected you both back hours ago!”

 

“Sorry mom, there was an accident.”

 

Yuuri quickly summarizes the events while discretely filling a bowl with water. Taking a quick peak to make sure no one is looking, he brings his fist to his mouth, taking a deep breath in and exhaling, watching as the water in front of him gradually hardens into a solid chunk. His magic comes in handy for some of the little jobs around the house, but with a restaurant full of customers, splitting the water before freezing it would be too much of a spectacle, and so he resigns himself to chipping the ice out of the bowl with a blunt wedge and packing it into a dish towel to bring upstairs.

 

“I’ll come down and help once I give this to dad and make sure he’s okay to be left alone for a while.”

 

Hiroko nods and turns back to her work, finishing off several plates only to start compiling four more. Yuuri quickly ascends the set of stairs once again, handing over the ice to his father before promptly making his way back down to help out. The evening passes by quickly, with the surplus of patrons guaranteeing that there is never a dull moment. Mari gives him a questioning look a couple of times before he lets her know that he will explain everything later, and true to his word, as soon as the last customer heads out for the night, they hold a little family meeting upstairs. After another, more detailed recollection of the day’s events told by Toshiya, everyone is just about to get ready for bed before Mari pipes up.

 

“Considering everything that has been going on today, I almost forgot that I wanted to tell you all about something I overheard in the restaurant, as well as something I didn’t hear.”

 

For any other family, eavesdropping and town gossip is just some silly pass time, but for the Katsuki’s, they all immediately sober up at the mention of new information, and the mood changes to accommodate a heavier topic.

 

“As we all know, there is a few new caravans in town. From what I can tell, two of them seem to be run of the mill traders heading to the big cities, but as for the third, their group seems to be a bit more suspicious. Their leader is apparently out running business, and the small group is staying here for a few days until he gets back. No one has outright stated their intentions or what their jobs may entail, which is unusual since people who gossip tend to state the arrival of the new party and immediately follow with amazing tales about the intriguing lives they lead.”

 

She pauses for a moment to look at each individual family member before pressing on.

 

“We are all well aware of the dangerous reality of our situation. If someone has even an inkling of suspicion towards us, they might take it as an opportunity to make some quick money, and we will _not_ , let that happen. We may have a better sense of the people around town and what they’re involved with, but these are strangers. Keep your heads down, act normal, and absolutely under no circumstances, are you to use magic while they are here.”

 

The room is silent as the weight of the situation sinks in, and Yuuri immediately feels guilty for the trick he pulled with the ice earlier. Mari’s blunt approach always cuts deep when it comes to safety, and she makes sure to drill it into everyone’s head with every word, but the temporary ban on their magic also introduces other complications.

 

Yuuri sighs. “I guess that means mom can’t heal dad’s ankle…”

 

Since Toshiya was spotted injured in the woods by a stranger, they all know Hiroko can’t perform any healing magic without arousing suspicion, but that also means he is going to be on strict rest for the next few days as well. Yuuri, Mari, or Hiroko can be taken away without a moment’s notice if they aren’t constantly on their guard, and so the three of them will simply have to work extra hard in order to ensure that everything they need for the house is completed on time, and unfortunately they will have to manage without any helpful tricks.


	5. Work Hard, then, Work Harder

The last few days have been rough. Hiroko and Mari have teamed up to run the restaurant during the peak hours, and they even enlisted Toshiya to sit in the back and chop vegetables while everyone else does all the running around. During the down times, Mari heads out back to chop the wood that is constantly being delivered by Yuuri, because all morning and into the early afternoon, his job is to make regular trips in and out of the forest, hauling giant piles of logs back to the house each time. The work load is brutal, but as soon as the sun starts dipping down lower in the sky, Yuuri makes his way home with his last load of the day, taking a short break for some rest and a quick meal before packing up his bag with water, wire, and a knife. Slinging his bow and quiver over his shoulder, the afternoons are reserved for hunting and trapping their next meal, while simultaneously providing enough meat for the restaurant.

 

While the rest of the family is handling the dinner prep, he walks out back and straight into the woods, hoping to see something finally caught in his snares that he set up two mornings ago, and if he’s lucky, maybe he’ll find a nice deer or boar that he could take home along the way. After fifteen minutes, he finally sees the strip of fabric that he tied to a tree, marking the spot of the game trail he was following. Stepping into the bushes, he continues moving until he is a respectable distance away from the path, and along the way, he starts to check the snares that he placed in ideal, sparse thickets in the forest. To his dismay, after checking all six traps, he finds that the majority are empty, with only one yielding results. He was hoping to catch a few rabbits or even a squirrel so it could be used to make a stew, but the odds don’t seem to be in his favor. Quickly packing up the decently sized, single rabbit, he resets the trap, and prays that in the morning he might find more.

 

As the sun continues its descent, the warmth of its light fades along with it. There is a significant chill in the air now, and even though the leaves of the forest are just beginning to change, it is easy to tell that autumn is well on its way. Attempting to prevent the slight breeze from reaching his skin, Yuuri flips up the collar of his worn, leather jacket, but he finds the small strip of material is practically useless. Accepting his icy fate, he continues to tread lightly, trying not to scare off any potential animals in the area.

 

* * *

 

 

After following the trail for an hour, it is starting to get much darker, and Yuuri still hasn’t come across any wildlife. It is as if the animals are sensing the change of seasons, securing their dens and nesting ahead of time in order to beat the cold snap that is inevitably moving in. The sun has already passed below the mountain range, and the drastic change in light shows that it is most likely setting on the other side. Soon the pitch black, dark of night will be moving in very quickly, and so he needs to head home before he can’t see where he’s going. Cutting his losses and very disappointed, Yuuri lets out a deep breath, turning around in order to head back.

 

The return journey takes significantly less time than the walk out, and he makes quick work of steering himself through the thick underbrush now that he isn’t actively hunting and trying to silence his movements. By the time he returns, the dinner service is over, and the rest of his family looks exhausted. He doesn’t blame them, but he knows he needs to get more food on the table if they are going to run any kind of business. They are all working so hard, and he feels useless when he’s basically just going for a walk in the woods with nothing to show for it. Closing up shop for the day, his family chats about trivial things as they go through the routine motions, and Mari states that she has heard no new information other than the leader of the one group still being out on business. They all quickly eat dinner, and Yuuri decides to turn in early in order to get a head start the next morning.

 

* * *

 

 

Waking up before anyone else in the house is easier said than done. Groaning, and practically rolling out of his single bed, Yuuri stumbles across his room to start his day before the sun comes up. He begins by dressing in a fresh shirt and clean trousers, then grabs his satchel along with his gear, dons his jacket, and heads out to check his snares. Once again, they produce little results, this time only nabbing two small squirrels, and he begins to feel the frustration rising inside him.

 

‘ _What kind of son am I when I can’t even hunt properly? We can’t keep buying meat from town because we’ll never earn enough money to cover the cost... But apparently I’m not good enough to provide for my family… I’m useless to them. They can all manage pulling their fair share of weight while I’m barely doing anything to help… At least the one thing I can’t screw up is chopping wood..._ ’

 

Taking a few measured breaths, he forcibly pushes down the lump in his throat and blinks away the tears he can feel pricking at the corners of his eyes. Moving around, he attempts to physically shake off the self-deprecating thoughts for now, and he quickly resets the traps and decides he’ll get a head start on more firewood after he drops the tiny morsels off at home.

 

The walk back goes much faster than he wants it to. Not that he isn’t eager to move on to his next job so that he can make a larger contribution, but turning in his minimal results to his mother makes him feel like a disappointment. Hastily moving inside, he places the squirrels on the kitchen counter, trying not to disturb Hiroko who is now awake and washing vegetables in the sink.

 

_‘Dad should be doing this… Not me... My family deserves better... All I can do is chop wood.’_

 

The familiar watery sensation rushes back into his eyes, but as he turns to head back out, a light touch on his shoulder makes him turn around. His mother has moved to stand in front of him, a warm smile spread across her face as she places both hands on his shoulders and gives a reassuring squeeze. Yuuri’s mother has always known him too well, and as soon as he looks into her warm, cinnamon eyes, he feels all the frustration and disappointment come surging forward once more.

 

Trying to control himself, he balls his hands into fists, keeping his arms rigid by his side as he lets his mother wrap her arms around him. He valiantly attempts to hold back his tears that are starting to form by closing his eyes and taking deep breathes, but as soon as he returns the embrace, he ends up practically breathing out all of his pent up emotions onto his mother’s shoulder.

 

“I’m sorry mom.”

 

Yuuri’s voice is barely above a whisper, and yet it still manages to crack. He hates himself for letting the pressure get to him, but he should have expected that the last few days would be more stressful than he anticipated. Briefly squeezing him tighter, she pushes him back to see his face and wipes the fallen tears from his cheeks.

 

“It’s okay, baby boy. No one expects you to be a master of everything, especially when you take on a job that you don’t have much practice in. Your father may have taught you how to hunt, but he has years of experience that you have yet to acquire.  There is no rush to be perfect, and you don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be you, and you’re great at that.”

 

Providing his mother with the best watery smile he can muster, he gives her a shaky nod of his head. Hiroko is a godsend, and he can’t imagine a life without her and her uncanny sixth sense towards other people’s thoughts. He closes his eyes, takes another deep breath, and relaxes his body for just a moment, enough to ease the tension that he has been building up for days.

 

Once he feels more centered than before, he blinks his eyes open and sees his mother still standing before him, waiting patiently with a gentle smile. He gives a small smile back, more confident than the last one, and readjusts the strap of his bag over his shoulder.  

 

“I’ll go gather some more wood for today, and then maybe I’ll head out earlier to the forest on the far side of town to try my luck hunting over there.”

 

His words are more to reassure himself than his mother, but she simply nods along with her reply.

 

“I think that sounds like a good plan.”

 

After letting everything out, Yuuri feels vaguely more relaxed and has regained a little more confidence than he had earlier. Giving his mother another smile, he finally backs away to prepare for his next job. Thankfully, cutting down some trees should at least give his mind a break by simply following the monotonous routine and keeping up with physical exertion that is required, and hopefully, he’ll bring back enough wood to last them the whole winter. Making sure he fills up his canteen before setting out, he spends the rest of the morning working harder than he has ever worked before.


	6. A Helping Hand

It feels like Yuuri has cut down half the forest by now. Of course that is completely impossible, but the way his lungs are burning, muscles are aching, and the amount of sweat he’s been wiping off with his now discarded shirt, seems to say otherwise. Considering the cool fall weather that has been settling in lately, the day seems to be surprisingly warm. Bright beams of sunlight are shining down through the trees, fading in and out as the few scattered clouds pass by overhead, but still providing ample light and warmth for the days work. Chopping down his last tree into its final segments, Yuuri wipes the sweat off his brow and shades his eyes as he looks toward the sky. Judging by the position of the sun, it should be about time for the lunch rush at Yutopia, and that also means he should probably head back so that he can try out the new hunting location across town. Utilizing their old wagon, he lugs his next giant pile of wood back to the house, and quickly unloads it onto his neat stack that has grown almost as tall as himself.

 

Satisfied with his hefty workload so far, he steps inside for a quick reprieve, immediately greeting his mother in the kitchen as she loads up several different dishes for Mari to serve. Not wanting to hinder her work during the rush hour, he quickly fills up his canteen and tucks himself into the corner so that he is out of the way, grabbing some bread, potatoes, and sliced meat from the butcher to munch on for his own lunch. The constant roar of rowdy patrons filters through the doorway as Mari comes and goes with new orders, and Yuuri makes sure to eat his food quickly so that he can get back to contributing to the family as soon as possible. Swallowing down the last chunk of bread and taking a big gulp of water, he tops up his canteen one last time.

 

“I’m off to hunt!” He says to his mother as he places his dishes in the sink. “I’ll probably be back a little later than normal since I’m trying a new spot but hopefully I’ll find something worthwhile.”

 

Yuuri can see Hiroko smiling at his words as she continues to concentrate on her work.

 

“Alright, just be careful!”

 

“I will!”

 

With no time to waste, he grabs his bag, bow, and quiver, and heads out the back door. It is easier to go around the house rather than cut through the customers out front, but as soon as he makes his way over to the central hub of Hasu, he finds himself in the middle of a crowd anyway.

 

Since it is already noon, the town is in full swing. The beautiful weather is encouraging people to come out and enjoy it while it lasts, and Yuuri spots several groups of children running around giggling without a care in the world. Their laughter is quickly swallowed by the shouts of vendors and people trying to haggle down prices on items that have outrageous costs, and it is weird to think that for such a small town, Hasu’s marketplace never seems to have a dull moment.

 

Ducking and dodging his way through the crowds, he can almost see the edge of town when someone suddenly steps out in front of him, forcing him to run head first into a large, muscular, chest. Dazed and stumbling back, a firm grip appears on his arm to help steady him from running into anyone else, but unexpectedly, the man then pulls them close together so that they’re chest to chest. Yuuri quickly regains his balance, awkwardly trying to take a step back as he stammers out an apology and looks up at the stranger, but instead of a local, he is greeted with a familiar grin.

 

“We seem to have quite the knack of running into each other, now don’t we Yuuri?”

 

Chris practically purrs his name, and it makes the young man start to blush at both the tone and at how the older man is still keeping them pressed close together. Stumbling over his words once more, Yuuri has no idea how to reply, but the other man starts chuckling at the flustered mess that he is before he can think of what to say. Chris finally takes a step back, relaxing his stance and letting his hand fall back to his side while Yuuri remembers how to breathe, but the older man takes one glance from his head to his toes before he cocks an eyebrow.

 

“You look like you’re ready to go on a hunting trip dressed like that. Mind if I join you? There’s only so much one can do when visiting such a small town, and it would be nice to get some practice in.”

 

“You know how to hunt?”

 

Yuuri’s brain finally catches up to his mouth, and of course the first thing he says is something as stupid as that.

 

_‘Of course he knows how to hunt. What kind of traveler doesn’t know how to hunt? They need to eat something on the road you imbecile.’_

 

The sound of Chris’ deep laughter pulls him from his thoughts.

 

_‘Oh god, he must think I’m an idiot.’_

 

“Well of course, chéri. I didn’t get these beautiful muscles by simply walking around all day, a man’s gotta eat!”

 

His sentence makes Yuuri realize two things. One, Chris is obnoxiously narcissistic when it’s not some kind of serious situation, and two, the man who is wearing a simple, skin tight, T-shirt, does have extremely toned muscles. Another laugh once again echoes from the buff man.

 

_‘God damn it, you were too busy gawking and saying nothing again.’_

Yuuri’s blush returns full force as he looks away. Trying to regain what little dignity he has left, he clears his throat and turns back to the man who is now wearing a shit-eating, _‘I know what you were thinking’_ , grin.

 

“So you want to come hunting with me?” He spits out as fast as he can.

 

His attempt at turning the conversation into safer territory is a feeble attempt at best, but when Chris’ smug look fades back into something more genuine, he breathes a sigh of relief.

 

“Only if you’ll have me.”

 

This time the older man’s words are said with a wink, but before Yuuri can make a fool of himself even further, he actually considers the man’s offer.

 

‘ _It would be nice to have someone come with me that actually goes out to hunt all the time... Maybe he can even give me some pointers or teach me something new. Then maybe I can gain some experience...’_

 

Without giving Chris another opportunity to poke fun at his easily embarrassed self, he gives him a nod.

 

“When would you be ready to go?”

 

“Just give me five minutes to grab some essentials from my lodging and I can meet you back here.”

 

“Alright, I’ll wait for you at the road leading out of town, right over there.” Yuuri quickly motions behind the other man, pointing to where the forest is split in half by the dirt road just past the busy crowd. “Just so I can avoid bumping into anyone else.”

 

The man smiles. “Excellent. I’ll be back soon!”

 

With a wave, Chris runs off, and Yuuri makes his way through the last of the busy street, careful not to run into any other busy people. As soon as he is finally free of the commotion, he picks out a nice shady spot under a large tree, and sits down to start watching the fluffy, white clouds float by overhead to pass the time.

 

_‘The weather really has been lovely the past few days… it’s a shame I can’t use some of this time to practice my magic before the winter sets in and I’m cooped up in the house all day... But once the caravan leaves and dad’s ankle recovers, maybe I can find some time to slip away again.’_

 

Closing his eyes, Yuuri does a quick assessment of his magic in order to stay attuned to his body, and he can feel the energy thrumming beneath his skin, ready to burst out from its lack of use over the past few days. He lets the feeling wash over him, enjoying the pleasant tingle and obvious sensation of power that comes with it. Suddenly, he feels the wind start to pick up and his eyes snap open, and he quickly reins in his power, feeling like a fool for letting himself slip so easily.

 

As he is silently berating himself, he notices Chris walking back with a bow and quiver slung over his shoulder, and a knife strapped to his belt. He has an odd look of confusion briefly on his face, but it quickly washes away once they’re together.

 

“All ready to go?” Yuuri asks.

 

“All finished your nap?” Chris quickly replies.

 

Yuuri huffs out a laugh and gets to his feet. Without another word, he turns and starts making his way east out of town, eventually engaging in friendly chit-chat as they walk. Chris questions Yuuri about his life growing up in such a small village while Yuuri asks about Chris’ life on the road, but both men seem to give simple answers without delving into much detail. The vagueness alludes to information left unsaid, but neither man speaks up about it, both of them content to just enjoy the others company for the short time they have together. He may not know him that well and there are obviously secrets between the two of them, but Yuuri takes a liking to Chris. The man is nice, funny, and seems like a good guy, even if he is a bit forward and an insatiable flirt. They may still be more or less strangers, but he finds comfort in knowing he is making a new friend.

 

Getting farther away from town, Yuuri consciously avoids the area on the north side of the road where his practice field resides, and instead he turns south once they find a suitable game trail. Making their way into the woods, they let the easy conversation between them die now that they are officially hunting, and neither utters a word unless absolutely necessary. The odd pair start off by setting some snares along the way, each picking out a few prime spots in the underbrush as they move along.

 

Thankfully, the heavy canopy above effectively blocks out the harsh sun, leaving the forest mildly cool but also making it hard to tell that the once dispersed clouds are starting to clump together. Yuuri can feel the shift in the weather as they continue on, aware that his elemental magic is reaching out to greet the change but making sure that he suppresses the restless feeling inside of him. Thinking ahead, he decides to quickly mention to Chris that they may have to retreat if it starts to rain, and the other man agrees without complaint.

 

* * *

 

 

An hour and a half later, the skies are getting dark but the two men have a worthwhile prize in their sights. Fresh droppings along the trail encourage them onward, and they are treading slowly, carefully, and quietly along the path when they suddenly hear some movement up ahead. Both men freeze as the sound of twigs snapping is accompanied by a few snorts, and they ready their bows hoping to successfully catch their prey.

 

Peeking around a dense thicket, they spot a large, mature boar, rooting around a nearby bush.  Gently, Yuuri pulls back the string of his weapon and takes aim, waiting for the animal to come back around so that he can take a clear shot. Meanwhile, Chris is watching quietly from behind, feet planted on the ground and not making a sound, trying to ensure that the pig does not pick up on their presence. Luckily, the boar continues on its path around the bush, and Yuuri takes a deep breath in before readjusting his aim and releasing his arrow. The next thing they hear is a loud squeal from the beast before it promptly crashes into the ground, with only a wooden shaft with a few feathers sticking out of its chest.

 

Letting out the breath he was holding, Yuuri straightens, only to be clapped on the back by an excited Chris.

 

“Way to go Yuuri! You don’t seem like the type to be a professional hunter, but damn! That was an amazing shot.”

 

The man walks past him, already moving in to investigate the kill. Nervously rubbing his neck, Yuuri can’t help but disagree.

 

“It’s not much really. I’ve practiced my aim in the backyard at home, but when it comes to actually applying that expertise during a hunt, my skill isn’t nearly as good.”

 

“You’re too modest Yuuri. It took me months to get my first proper kill on my own.”

 

Not wanting to invalidate the opinion, Yuuri just nods, walking over to kneel beside him as Chris yanks out the arrow. The boar is an impressive size, and it will be a great contribution to the restaurant when they get back.

 

“Thank you for coming along by the way. I really appreciate the help.”

 

“Ah, I didn’t contribute much at all. You’re the one who did all the hard work, I just set up some snares. Speaking of which, now that we caught our bounty I guess we can start heading back.”

 

“Ya, that sounds good to me. I can carry this if you don’t mind checking the traps on the return trip.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

Yuuri simply mumbles his assent as he starts to maneuver the pig so that he can heave it onto his shoulders. With a big pull and a little grunt, he manages to settle the beast in a comfortable position with both hands holding onto its feet to stabilize it. The muscles in his legs burn as he pushes himself and the extra weight up off the ground, but as soon as he is standing upright, he notices the odd look on his new friends face.

 

Chris is staring, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. He probably never expected someone that weighs half as much as himself to be able to carry a catch that huge, but Yuuri easily proves him wrong. After a moment of gawking, the man closes his mouth and nods, obviously impressed by the young man.

 

“I guess I’ll lead the way.”

 

Yuuri gives the man a smile and they both turn to begin making their way back down the trail, with the extra weight slowing them down only a little but they are definitely moving faster than their journey into the woods. Unfortunately, their luck with the weather runs out after only a few minutes into their walk back, and the rain Yuuri has been anticipating finally starts to come down. It begins as a light drizzle, and the dense forest canopy protects them from the brunt of it for the time being, but now, the area falls into an eerie silence. The only noise that can be heard over their footsteps is the patter of droplets echoing through the quiet forest, and all of the birds must have retreated to their nests to wait out the storm.

 

Not long after the drizzling begins, it suddenly takes a turn for the worse, with the wind picking up as it really starts to pour. Soon Chris starts veering off to gather up the traps and anything they may have caught, and what started off as a frustratingly disappointing day, has now turned into something quite successful.

 

An hour after their kill, they emerge from the woods soaking wet, but they are one boar and five rabbits heavier than when they started. Riding the high of such a fruitful hunt, Yuuri is beaming, and he would be sauntering down the path if it wasn’t for the large pig weighing him down. He looks around to orient himself as they exit the woods and quickly directs them towards home.

 

The heavy rain is still pouring from the sky, considerably harsher now that they are out of the safety of the trees, and the puddles forming on the road are quickly turning some parts of the trail into mud. However, it only takes five minutes of walking before the hairs on the back of Yuuri’s next begin to prickle, and he can feel it in his gut that something is wrong.

 

Before he can even think of mentioning it to Chris, a man in run down, dark clothing, steps out of the woods and directly into the middle of the path, forcing both Yuuri and Chris stop in their tracks and take in the man before them.

 

_‘Fuck…’_

 

He is big, practically twice the size of Chris, and the man is built with enough muscle that in his left hand he effortlessly holds a sledgehammer, easily maneuvering it to rest the giant tool against his shoulder. The next thing they know they hear the rustle of bushes behind them, and they angle their bodies between both directions, not letting their guard down as they look behind them. Two more men are walking out of the woods, both significantly smaller than the giant in front of them, but one is brandishing a short sword while the other is wielding two daggers. A fourth man then joins the big guy in front, cracking his knuckles as he casually takes his spot like this is just another normal routine for them. All four men are wearing cocky smirks, and none of them look like they have much to lose.

 

“Shit.” Chris mutters underneath his breath, and Yuuri can’t agree more.

 

The young man is absolutely terrified. He unconsciously tightens his grip around the boar’s legs and glances over at Chris, trying to gain some kind of clue as to what they should do. The blonde seems almost calm on the outside, but his green eyes are rapidly moving and assessing the situation, and it’s obvious that he is desperately trying to figure out a plan during the little time they have left before whatever comes next. Meanwhile, Yuuri is frozen with fear as his heart threatens to beat right out of his chest. He has no idea what to do, and the only thing he does know is that he has never been in a real fight before. He can imagine that Chris must have dealt with his fair share of thugs on the road or ended up in a bar fight or two, but not him.

 

_‘We’re gonna die.’_

 

Before he can even start thinking rationally, the first man holding the short sword steps closer, and Chris quickly turns to face the first opponent head on, dropping his bag by his side and spreading his feet into a secure stance. Since they weren’t expecting to hunt anything else for the rest of the day, they had already secured their bows around their torsos as soon as they killed the pig, and now they don’t have enough time to utilize their primary weapon as the first man continues to move towards them. Yuuri prays that Chris knows what he is doing, and as the seconds tick by, he ends up taking a step back as he watches the thug rush at his new friend.


	7. Fight for Your Life

Yuuri almost closes his eyes reflexively when the fight begins, but he strengthens his resolve at the last moment, the necessity of being aware of his surroundings overriding his want to cower away in fear. He watches as the man possessing the sword, lifts it above his head and brings it down swiftly upon his friend. At the last moment, Chris unsheathes his small hunting knife from around his belt, using it to effectively parry the attack and catch the enemy off guard. The brief moment of surprise gives him a small opening to quickly side step around the man, using the minuscule opening to his advantage. As he spins, the blonde uses the opportunity to grab the attackers extended arm and twists it behind the man’s back, forcing out an agonizing scream that fills the otherwise excruciating silence. Without a second of hesitation, Chris rapidly raises his blade and slits the man’s throat in one fluid motion, abruptly silencing the pained cries and replacing them with a faint gurgle. Letting the dead weight go, the body hits the ground with a hard thud and a small splash as Chris returns to his original position in the center, ready for the next attack. Meanwhile, everyone else is still standing frozen in place, shocked with how easily the foreigner completed the kill.

 

Yuuri is traumatized. He started holding his breath as soon as the sword was swung and hasn’t exhaled since. Staring wide eyed at the now dead body, he watches as it creates a pool of blood in front of his companion, the red fluid artfully mixing with the clear liquid. For a moment, his senses begin to block everything out, preventing him from hearing the storm whirling around him or feeling the rain still beating against his skin, and the only thing he sees is the first murder he’s ever witnessed. The muddy puddles on the road are slowly starting to turn completely pink, and the recently deceased individual lay perfectly still, one cheek pressed into the mud and eyes wide open. Blinking a few times, Yuuri regains his composure enough so that his tunnel vision on the corpse fades away, and it happens just in time for all hell to break loose.

 

The other three bandits begin to close in. Yuuri immediately drops the boar off of his shoulders and looks around for a weapon. If he can gain a sliver of a moment he can whip out his bow, but before he is able to make his move, he receives a sharp blow to his left cheek. He would like to say he put up a good fight, but he hits the ground hard, falling over into a puddle and struggling to remain upright in the mud. Rapidly, he starts stumbling back closer to the tree line, the coppery taste of blood filling his mouth as he tries to distance himself from his attacker. The pain in his jaw finally registers as he is scrambling away, and he can feel the rush of blood pounding in his head as he tries to spit out the bitter tang that keeps coming back.

 

He barely manages to get back on his feet and shove his glasses back into place when another blow comes from the opposite side, nailing him just below the ribs and causing him to yell out as he falls back into the woods, wincing in pain. Groaning, he quickly rolls over onto his stomach in order to push himself back up, but as he opens his eyes, he mercifully discovers that he has conveniently landed in front of a large tree branch. Thanking the gods, he wraps his hands around the thick, heavy, wood, and takes a blind swing behind him as he stands and whirls around as fast as he can.

 

Yuuri feels the branch resist before following through, and it is accompanied by a loud crack and a scream, which causes the man to collapse. Through sheer dumb luck, it turns out he nailed the unarmed assailant directly in the temple, and the man is currently struggling to regain his bearings on the ground. Yuuri then seizes the opportunity to look towards Chris and see how he is handling himself, but unfortunately when the biggest brute saw Yuuri get taken down with a single punch, he obviously left to pursue the more dangerous threat. This means it is two on one, but the giant man’s sledgehammer is keeping Chris at a distance as he is trying to dodge the heavy blows, while lackey number three is getting a little too close with his daggers.

 

Before he can think of a plan, his own personal thug stands back up wearing a nasty snarl. The harsh glare combined with a steady stream of blood dripping down the side of his head sends a spark of fear through the young man’s body, but he quickly shakes off the feeling as more adrenaline pumps through his veins. Yuuri readies himself as the man lunges, using his limber body to recreate Chris’ earlier footwork and side stepping just in time to throw off his dazed attacker. He quickly spins around to face him from behind, raising the branch as high as he can before bringing it down with as much force as he can muster. This time, his aim lands the hit directly on the crown of the man’s head, making him plummet back toward the ground and slump into the bushes. Breathing heavily, Yuuri determines that the man is out for the count, and quickly turns back to help Chris.

 

His friend is obviously struggling. There is fresh blood dripping out of a deep cut on his arm, and his heavy panting from taking on two assailants at once is easily visible from far away. Meanwhile, the two bandits look relatively unscathed, and their offense is continuously coordinated in order to prevent any attempts at a retaliation as they continue their brutal assault. Finally with a brief moment to prepare, Yuuri reaches back to arm himself with his bow and an arrow, but as he grasps at his quiver, he finds all of his arrows are missing.

 

“Fuck!”

 

They must have fallen into the woods when he was knocked down earlier, and as he turns to check, he spots the thug he had dealt with crumpled over top of the same spot. Yuuri looks back up at the three men still ducking and dodging around each other’s attacks, mildly annoyed that the fight managed to separate them a good thirty feet down the road from each other. With no other choice, he brandishes his trusty branch once again, and he quickly begins to head towards the skirmish in hopes that he can somehow help fight off the last two attackers.

 

Not even five steps closer, Chris all of a sudden takes a heavy blow from the sledgehammer straight to his left shoulder. He obviously tried to dodge the attack, and he did manage to avoid his head, but the weapon still comes down hard, forcing Chris to his knees as he lets out a guttural cry. Yuuri knows exactly what is going to happen next as the other assailant registers the sudden break in the man’s defense, and he can see the thug step forward with his daggers ready to take Chris' life.

 

_‘No.’_

 

He knows he can’t let it happen, but he is still too far away and without any arrows to shoot. In a final act of desperation, he reflexively lifts his free hand straight out in front of him and closes his open palm to form a fist. The rest of the battle seems to happen in slow motion, as all of the rain pouring down around them suddenly rushes from all directions towards the man wielding the daggers. Yuuri drops the branch and brings both of his hands to his chin, clenching his fists tightly before he rapidly opens his hands, palms facing the ground, and forces his arms in a harsh descent, stopping when his hands are level with his belly button. As he moves, all of the water that surrounds the man restricts his movements before violently throwing him to the ground.

 

The young magician then proceeds to lean back, whirling his arms in an arc above his body and taking a deep breath in, and simultaneously a large block of ice forms above the brute who was knocked to the ground. On the exhale, he quickly stands upright and brings both hands straight down from above his head with his palms touching, acting as if he is swinging an imaginary sword. In response, the giant block of ice crashes into the man’s struggling body, leaving the assailant crushed under its weight and effectively taken care of.

 

Continuing his offense, Yuuri then focuses his attention on the last bandit, already moving his arms and shifting his weight as he begins to conjure more ice in a form similar to what he practiced only a few mornings ago. Thankfully, it is easy to see that the last attacker hesitates, unsure of what he just saw, but this gives Chris a chance to quickly dive into a right handed shoulder roll, getting him out of any immediate danger. The blonde takes a chance to glance back at the man he thought was going to slit his throat, and he finally sees him lying on the ground, bleeding out under a giant cube of ice.

 

“What–”

 

That is all Chris is able to say before he is interrupted by the giant attacker screaming out in pain. His sharp green eyes quickly dart over to the noise, and he is immediately met with the horrifying sight of the large man punctured with half a dozen icicles. The circumference of each shard of ice must be close to that of a melon, and it doesn’t take long before the man’s blood begins gushing out of his wounds as he falls to the ground.

 

With the last enemy defeated, everything becomes silent once again, with the only exception being the constant patter of rain still attempting to wash away the evidence. As the downpour continues falling on the two men left standing, the sight of the gruesome battle around them starts to sink in. Finally lifting his gaze from the two newest kills, Chris spots Yuuri, still twenty feet away and panting deeply, with his left arm raised straight above his head and the other holding on to the opposite elbow. The young man slowly relaxes his stance, and turns his stare to meet Chris’, but neither of the men speak a word.

 

Yuuri’s lip is split open and bleeding as he tenderly holds his right side, and he can see Chris’ gash is now profusely coating his clothes in blood as he reaches across his body to cradle his shoulder.

 

“Are you okay?” Yuuri manages to finally ask.

 

“Okay? Yuuri from what I just saw – “

 

“Please!” He cries. “Please don’t tell anyone!” Taking a frantic step forward, the realization of what just happened sinks in, and unrestrained panic starts to fill his eyes. “I’m begging you, I never wanted anyone to find out… and I would never hurt anyone! I’ve never done something like this before you have to believe me. If I had any other choice I wouldn’t have, but you were about to die and I couldn’t just stand by and let that happen-” His words are abruptly choked off by another wave of dread.

 

Yuuri can tell that Chris is hesitating, obviously trying to think through his options.

 

“Does this mean… your family…?”

 

“Only my mother and sister…” Yuuri quietly replies. “But please Chris, I will do anything for you if you promise to keep this a secret.”

 

Desperation and terror fills his face and coats his voice as he begs for his family to be spared, but all he can do is wait with bated breath to find out what he has to offer in order to keep this between themselves. The look on Chris’ face is hard to read, and the man almost looks surprised at the sudden turn of events as he stares at Yuuri before once again examining the carnage surrounding them. After a few agonizing seconds, bright green eyes finally connect with his once more, but this time, the man is wearing a small smirk on his face.

 

“So… you’re a magician?”

 

Unsure of what the underlying motive might be, Yuuri just sighs and looks him straight in the eyes, pleading with the blonde to get to the point.

 

“Yes, I’m a magician.”

 

Chris’ grin widens.

                  

"Perfect."


	8. The More You Know

_‘Oh god I’ve made a mistake. I’ve made a terrible mistake. Chris seemed like an okay guy, I never thought he might be a bounty hunter. Gods how could I be so stupid… Mari was right. Now it all makes sense why we didn’t know about why their group was in town… And now he knows about me and the others… Maybe I should just kill him. I’ve already downed three men, what difference does a fourth make?’_

 

Yuuri is standing frozen in place as he eyes Chris’ form, attentively watching the eerie smirk remain older man’s face and cataloguing each miniscule movement that could potentially lead to something more. There is nothing he can do to stop the pulsating fear coursing through his blood, and his heart responds by running a mile a minute as his fingers begin to twitch in anticipation of his next move. Just as the silence is beginning to become crippling, he is seriously debating adding another murder to his repertoire when Chris starts to laugh.

 

_‘Well that’s fucking reassuring.’_

 

The blonde’s posture relaxes ever so slightly as he chuckles, and Yuuri watches as Chris runs his right hand back through his hair, pushing the mangled, wet mop out of his eyes before pointlessly shaking off the moisture on his hand. The tight ball of tension that is building inside him is ready to snap like a twig with every wasted second, but he forcibly holds the feeling back as he waits for a sign on how he should proceed.

“You know Yuuri,” Chris finally begins, with a cadence so casual it could be mistaken for pleasant conversation. “When I was a young boy, my parents told me stories about how the world used to be. A kingdom filled with beautiful magic and peaceful harmony seems like such a far-fetched idea these days, but apparently there was a time when everything was sunshine and rainbows, and numerous different types of magic were more than common across the land. People never seemed too concerned about where, when, why, or even how magic came to be, but magicians were so kind and were always ready to lend a hand to those who weren’t as fortunate or blessed as themselves that it didn’t really mater. But of course, that era of tranquility only lasted until the Cursed Ones rose up, and in one fell swoop they destroyed the peaceful world humanity had strived to create.”

 

Yuuri furrows his brow. He isn’t sure why he is suddenly receiving a history lesson, much less a lesson that as a magician he knows quite intimately, but he doesn’t have enough time to think about it as Chris slowly starts walking towards him.

 

“Doesn’t it seem odd, Yuuri? For people who had lived side by side with magicians for centuries to suddenly disregard every one of their past experiences and relationships, just to back an incredibly demanding proposal from the council? One telling them to betray their friends and family because the world suddenly deemed them a legitimate threat. It seems like a pretty extreme move if you ask me… And the only way a motion like that would have been accepted is if the non-magic users were convinced that they had no other choice.”

 

The blonde continues his nonchalant walk, but as he approaches Yuuri begins to shift his stance so that if he needs to he can quickly move away. He needs to keep his guard up, but now the man has already closed roughly half of the distance between them and he’s not certain as to where this conversation is going.

 

“We all know that the Cursed Ones were allegedly represented by only a small gathering of magicians, only a dozen or so when you read the reports, and so I ask you to consider the following. How does such a small terrorist group manage to bombard six separate villages, all a day’s ride or more from each other, in a single night?”

 

Chris finally stops walking forward when he is only a few paces from Yuuri, but the underlying feeling pulling at the young man’s gut forces him to take a few cautionary steps back.

 

“Get to the point.” Yuuri bites out, his voice sounding surprisingly more confident than he feels. “What are you implying Chris?”

 

“I’m _implying_ , that someone fed us some bullshit story in order to segregate the two races.”

 

Yuuri hardens his stare, tilting his head to the side in order to emphasize his skepticism.

 

“Why would anyone want to banish magic from the day to day world? It coexisted peacefully up until that point, and magicians even lent their talents to help others in need. Others that you even said yourself also included non-magic users as well. There would be no point for someone to ruin it all when everyone would suffer in the end, regardless of race.”

 

“And what if there is a reason?”

 

The blunt question makes Yuuri pause.

 

“What kind of reason would make someone disregard the rest of humanity?”

 

“A very selfish one.” Chris simply replies.

 

Yuuri can barely comprehend what he is hearing. After everything that has happened today his mind isn’t ready for critical thinking when his body is still hopped up on adrenaline. What he does know for sure is that he is cold, wet, and tired. He would like to go home and pretend none of this ever happened, but he can’t leave until he is sure Chris doesn’t pose a threat, and if he does, then a decision will have to be made. But until then, he is forced to carefully consider every option with what little information he has received, and he quickly resigns himself to cautiously assessing the situation.

 

Yuuri has the upper hand with his magic. This, he is sure of. Even if Chris were to lunge at him from a few feet away, he would still have time to create a quick defense with the sheer amount of water still raining down around them. There is also only one person between them who knows the true extent of power he has at his disposal, and hopefully Chris would consider that before he tries anything. Next he chooses to analyze the man’s body language. It doesn’t seem like Chris’ muscles are tensing in preparation for anything, and he is openly standing in front of him with his hunting knife back in its sheath and both hands in view as if he has nothing to hide. The older man’s voice didn’t waver at all during his little speech either, but that could potentially mean the words belong to an experienced bounty hunter’s frequently rehearsed dialogue.

 

Only knowing the man for a few days and only interacting for several hours isn’t helping his decision process either. For all Yuuri knows, he could be a pathological liar, he could be a cocky bastard, or he could be telling the truth. Taking a deep breath in, he continues to watch the man with a heavy, critical eye as he finally responds.

 

“I admit your theory _may_ have some merit, but there is no proof before my eyes that can back up your claim.”

 

“Would you be willing to join me for a meeting back in town then? I have all the proof I need for you in my current dwelling.”

 

The raven haired man simply scoffs.

 

“If you think I’m stupid enough to willingly go back to your little gang all on my own after this, then you are foolishly mistaken.”

 

Yuuri’s words hold a threatening air, and he notices the effect they have on the other man as Chris tries to relax his posture even further and gives an almost pleading look.

 

“Then how about I come to you. Allow the opportunity for me and one of my men to explain. We can come by your house later tonight, and you and your family can hear us out.” Chris pauses, changing his tone from a serious note to one that is much gentler. “I mean you no harm Yuuri, but the truth about our past is far from well known, and you of all people deserve to know.”

 

It’s risky. He knows that. But he would be lying to himself if he said that the topic of conversation did not peak his curiosity. All of the information he has received about the past has come from his mother, but even then, her knowledge is limited, and publicly talking about the rebellion is considered taboo, not to mention a death sentence if the wrong people become suspicious. But to top it all off, despite everything that has transpired, Yuuri still feels a small inkling in the back of his mind urging him to trust the man.

 

“Fine.” He spits out. “As soon as we get back to town I expect you to arrive at my house within ten minutes. If you aren’t there with your acquaintance by then, I will assume you mean my family harm and I will not hesitate to come and kill you myself.”

 

A smirk grows on Chris’ face.

 

“Deal. I never expected you of all people to be so intense Yuuri, the small town boy is a fitting look for you.”

 

Yuuri glares at him, almost offended by his statement. No one knows how much of a threat he can be if he wanted to, but before his thoughts start running head first into some kind of power complex, Chris is closing the last of the distance between them, hand reaching forward in an act of solidarity. Their eyes connect once more, and it is easy to feel that the atmosphere has completely changed since earlier today. Yuuri slowly extends his hand to reciprocate, but before they touch, Chris clarifies.

 

“Truce? At least until we get back to town.”

 

Yuuri nods. “Truce.”

 

Finally their hands come together in a firm shake, and both parties take a deep breath to ease some of the tension.

 

“So… what do we do with the bodies?” The young man immediately inquires after looking around the area once more.

 

Another lopsided grin creeps onto Chris’ face, but this time his expression almost seems sheepish.

 

“Well, it’s not the best idea, but…”

 

* * *

 

Over an hour later, the pair has successfully looted the bandits and are dragging them through the mud, rain, and dense thickets, a good ways into the forest. Since everything is too wet, they can’t burn the bodies, which would have been preferable, and instead they leave them for some wild animals to scavenge and to naturally decompose. Heading back to the road, they quickly collect their gear, bags, and of course the boar, because they can’t just leave their kill when it is the reason they came out here in the first place, and to leave it would be a dreadful waste.

 

Walking back to town is done in complete silence. Their amiable chatting from earlier abruptly came to a stop after the attack, and it only makes the journey back feel that much longer. As soon as they arrive at the edge of town, Chris veers off to gather what he needs from his place, with a sullen reminder of ten minutes leaving Yuuri’s mouth before he is out of ear shot.

 

By now, it is way past the time his family expected him to be back, and the lack of sunshine combined with a rough estimate of the hunting trip makes Yuuri guess that it must be somewhere around seven or eight in the evening. Trudging the last half a mile or so to his house, the young man finally pushes through the front door and immediately collapses to his knees, forcing the boar to slide off his shoulders and topple to the floor. The lack of dead weight pushing down on him feels like the sweetest relief, and he hears someone shout as footsteps come rushing towards him, but the exhaustion is starting to catch up to him.

 

A little groggy, he lifts up his head and tries to look around, seeing his mother and sister kneeling in front of him and gently checking over his body. He winces as his mother touches his left cheek, making him remember the hard punch he received earlier, but as soon as he comes to terms with the pain, a bright, green, glow begins to radiate in front of his face. A fuzzy warm sensation tickles its way around his cheek and lip, and it only takes a moment for him to register that his mother is using her magic. Small sparks sizzle and jump across his skin, heating and healing each and every area that has even the most superficial scrapes until there is no more aches residing in his body. He wonders exactly how beat up he must look to his family, but as the colourful light fades away, they begin to look a lot less concerned.

 

Without a moment’s notice, they are attempting to help him stand, and it takes them a couple of minutes to guide him to the back and settle him on the couch upstairs. His mother and sister leave the room quickly in order for Mari to fetch a blanket, wrapping it around him at the same time that his mother returns with some tea. As he gratefully accepts the cup and takes his first tentative sip, he is already starting to feel much better, but the moment of silence is hastily broken.

 

“Yuuri, what in the gods name happened to you?”

 

Hiroko sounds like she’s on the verge of tears, but he briefly takes another sip before clearing his throat and starting to talk. All three members of his family are settled on the two couches in the room, listening patiently to every word that spills from his mouth. By the time he reaches the recollection of the ambush, their faces turn from concerned to absolute horror. He recalls everything that he can remember, and when he admits to using his magic they are all wearing different expressions. His father seems to be in quiet contemplation, and his mother looks like she can understand and accepts what happened, but Mari wears the physical manifestation of absolute betrayal.

 

“How could you do such a stupid thing!?” She interrupts, shouting at the top of her lungs.

 

“I couldn’t just leave him, Mari.” Yuuri firmly states.

 

“You don’t know him. He’s an outsider to this town. And no one would have even bat an eye at a foreigner being robbed and killed in the woods. You should have walked away when you had the chance and left him to die.”

 

“He saved dad’s life, Mari. If it all happened again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

 

She sighs and huffs out a laugh of frustration. “So what did he say once you saved him? Thanks for giving me an opportunity to get rich quick?”

 

“Well…” Yuuri hesitates. “That’s where it gets complicated.”

 

A sudden knocking coming from downstairs pulls everyone’s attention towards the staircase. Mari, Hiroko, and Toshiya, all snap their heads back to look at Yuuri, who gives them an innocent smile in return.

 

“Before anyone answers that,” Yuuri begins, “just know that Chris has important information about the rebellion that he wanted to share with us. I want to say that I trust him, but be on your guard. He should only be here to explain a few things with one of his friends, and if after everything you still don’t trust him, well, I’ll leave that up to you.”

 

Everyone then gives Yuuri a pointed look, stunned into silence after everything they’ve been told in such a short amount of time. Another loud round of knocking starts, and the sound causes both Yuuri and Hiroko to stand. They share a glance before the two calmly walk back down the stairs, and before turning towards the front, a shadowy figure outside the back door catches their attention. His mother steps forward in order to peak through the window, and from what Yuuri can see, two men, both wearing long, dark cloaks with the hoods up, stand outside in the rain. Trusting her son, Hiroko reluctantly unlocks the door, only opening it partially as she assess the strangers.

 

“Good evening ma’am.” A deep voice addresses her, coming from the large man in front. “My name is Christophe Giacometti. I believe your son has informed you about our visit?”

 

Looking back and forth between the pair, she hesitates before opening the door all the way and allowing them inside. Quickly stepping out of the way, Yuuri begins to head back upstairs as the men thank Hiroko. He can hear them being ushered to take off their boots and coats, and not before long they are headed upstairs. Once the family is back together and all settled on one couch, the foreign men take a seat on the only other available option. Chris immediately starts extracting papers from a satchel and placing them on the coffee table, neatly organizing and deliberately placing a series of worn down parchments depicting letters, pictures, and maps, before being the first to speak up.

 

“Now, I’m sure Yuuri has informed you of the situation, and I would like to reiterate that I am not here with any ill will or alternative motives. I am here solely for the spread of information, and me and my colleague will be happy to answer any questions you might have. Speaking of which, Katsuki family, please meet my friend, Phichit Chulanont. Phichit, meet the Katsuki’s.”

 

Yuuri turns his attention to the dark haired boy, quietly assessing him along with the rest of his family. He is young, probably around his own age, but his skin holds a darker tan than his own, and his bright, brown eyes portray a constant feeling of warmth and happiness. The man doesn’t seem to fold under any of the scrutiny he is being held under, and he continues to simply smile at the family as they look him over. After a moment, he finally speaks up.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all! It’s not often that I come across new magicians.”

 

Mari is quick to reply. “You’ve met others?”

 

“You bet!” Phichit’s enthusiasm is almost too much given the situation. “I believe I’ve met a total of five if I include you three. Eight if I include my family.”

 

The simple statement makes everyone’s ears perk up.

 

“D-did you just say your family?” Yuuri stutters.

 

The young man lets out a bright laugh.

 

“That’s right! I’m a magician too!”


	9. Rewrite Your Life

As always, Mari is blunt.

 

“Prove it.”

 

“Sure!” The young man exclaims.

 

Phichit seems way too excited about everything as he gives the family another huge smile.

 

‘ _Doesn’t he know that magicians are supposed to be in discrete if they value their lives?’_ Yuuri thinks, as he watches the man quickly unclip a small, metal keychain from his belt.

 

Lifting the piece up, the foreign man showcases the item so that everyone can see a silver statue shaped like an elephant. All eyes are on the little figurine, and when Phichit believes he has everyone’s rapt attention, it starts to shimmer and give off a bright white light. Someone lets out a small gasp, but Yuuri is too focused on the demonstration to pay any mind as to who it came from. The magic only lasts a few seconds, and when the glowing subsides, a metal hamster is now being held in the palm of the young man’s hand.

 

“That’s incredible.” Yuuri breathes.

 

Phichit beams before clasping the figure back onto his belt.

 

“I can do it with any sort of object too. I have the ability to perform transmutation. I can’t make anything less turn into more or vice versa, but I can take any object and manipulate it into something else made out of the same material.”

 

Yuuri, Mari, and Toshiya, are in awe over what they’ve just witnessed, the three of them having never observed magic outside of their own family. To them, other magic users were merely a myth, something that could not be proven no matter how much they wanted it because it would be too dangerous. Meanwhile, Hiroko is just smiling happily. She is the only member of their family that has seen strangers performing magic before, and even though it was a long time ago, she seems quite pleased to watch the event once again. Yuuri looks back over to Chris who is wearing a familiar smug grin, but being friends with a magician hasn’t backed up any of his other claims.

 

“So,” Yuuri begins, “you are indeed acquainted with another magician, but you said that you have information?” He says, as he skeptically eyes the documents that have been distributed on the table.

 

Chris clears his throat and readjusts his posture on the couch.

 

“Of course. First let me begin by explaining the business of our caravan. Our group is an underground movement, exclusively known only by our members and the few magicians we meet along the way. We do not have a collective name in order to reduce the chances of the wrong people finding us, but we have been operating for the past four years. Normally this type of meeting is handled by our captain, but since he is still out of town, the second in command, yours truly, is filling the position for the time being.”

 

Chris pauses to assess the family. Everyone has fallen into a serious mood, patiently waiting, straight faced, and intently watching each of the older man’s movements. After another few seconds of silence, he must receive their soundless observation as an indication to continue.

 

“As you all probably know, information regarding magicians is few and far between. Locations of any survivors are either rumors or non-existent, and so coming across a family like yourselves is truly extraordinary. Originally, there was only three of us. The trio came together because we noticed an anomaly in some of the information we were receiving from friends, family, and historical records. In all honesty, it was almost a fluke that we realized something was wrong. What started off as an argument between friends over who was right, quickly turned into the discovery of what could very well be the biggest cover up in history.”

 

Chris then takes a moment to point out one of the pages on the far left of the table. All the documents are facing the family so that they can easily read the information, and the one that the man is motioning to is definitely recognizable.

 

“You can probably already tell that this is an original copy of the official statement given to citizens, declaring the state of emergency when the Cursed Ones began to terrorize the land. It explains that a small, fascist, magical group had formed, and that their goal is to take control over society and cement the idea that magicians are superior to non-magic users. Along the bottom, they encouraged people to submit any information they might have on the group or report any suspicious magical behaviour.”

 

Chris moves to point a finger at the adjacent black and white print to the right of the declaration. A quick look shows a family cowering in fear from a large, silhouetted, stereotypical, magician, with lightening shooting out from their fingertips as they tower over a town.

 

“This, is a piece of propaganda that we found. It was distributed alongside other similar posters to all soldiers, and they were also posted in public areas as the man-hunt for the Cursed Ones continued. By this point, everyone knew of the radical group, but they weren’t specifically targeting them anymore, rather moving to suggest all magicians, _just in case_.”

 

The last few words are said with a sarcastic tone and dramatic air quotes, and Yuuri can’t help but raise an eyebrow at the man’s nonchalant behaviour over such a serious topic. His family is all too familiar with the information so far, but the sheer amount of papers still left on the table only confirms that Chris’ story must be building up to something.

 

“After about six months, there wasn’t much change in society. Sure people might have been suspicious of strangers, but they still trusted their friends, and this is where things got messy. On the night of April 13th, fifty years ago, six different villages were brutally attacked. These locations have been marked on our map over here.” The man says as he slides a large map over to the left half of the coffee table, revealing even more, smaller notes and papers on the right. “It would take at least a day’s ride on horseback between any of these places, and the census reports for each spot averaged to have at least one magician for every two or three non-magic users. This in itself is suspicious, because how could such a small radical movement, successfully overthrow six villages in one night, when there had to be at least fifty to one hundred magicians in each town. That statistic is preposterous. Any able bodied individual would have fought back against their attackers, and although small, the villages shouldn’t have been so easily overrun with magicians on both sides. However, at the end of the raids, each village was burned to the ground, and all reports claimed that the party responsible was solely comprised of magicians belonging to the Cursed Ones. Now, as we all know, this night is where most of the fear of magicians was drawn from, and that is exactly what somebody wanted.”

 

“How could you be so sure that the group didn’t just multiply over time and build their forces?” Mari interrupts. “They could have easily used those six months to recruit more allies, and then execute their plan.” The young woman raises her eyebrow and crosses her arms, making her skepticism known.

 

“Very good question Mari, and to answer it I have a spearhead to prove it.”

 

Chris proceeds to take out an old, badly burned, relic, less than a foot long. The wooden stick is snapped at one end, and at the other sits a sharp, steel point, embedded into the wood with a short, decorative mount. In this day and age it isn’t exactly uncommon to see spears used as a hunting weapon even when archery is usually the method of choice, but the engraved stars and flourishing swirls are easily recognizable as a distinct feature of the capital. It is well known that the weapons and armor equipped by soldiers is famously decorated with the Kingdom’s official insignia, and a military presence milling around town is far from odd, but Mari just gives the blonde man another pointed look, as if telling Chris to explain the objects relevance.

 

“This piece was recovered from the first of the six towns our group visited. There isn’t much left in any of the locations other than piles of rubble and burnt wood, but we all know some things don’t burn as well as others.” Chris states, as he wiggles the piece in his hand. “Swords, spears, shields, and armor, were found in the hundreds at each spot, and no small town would be so heavily equipped for battle, let alone be using high grade materials such as steel. Only the capital city of Amherst could supply this much gear with such high quality, and to say that there was hundreds of soldiers already residing in each of the six towns is outrageous. If it were truly a battle consisting of a rebellious magician group, then they would have little use of such trivial weapons as I’m sure some of you can attest to.”

 

Silence falls over the room as Chris takes another brief pause, and the man glances over at Yuuri as he says the last few words as if emphasizing his point. It is easy to tell that the gears are slowly turning in each of their heads, as all of them are wearing similar contemplative expressions, looking on with squinted eyes as they scrutinize the documents laid before them. The sheer amount of information they are receiving rewrites everything they may have thought about the revolution, and it doesn’t help that Chris is able to answer any questions they might have as he continues his explanation.

 

“And how do we know that the armor and weapons you have supposedly witnessed is true?” Toshiya speaks up.

 

“I can answer that.” Phichit chimes in. “My family is actually from the village of Trent, one of the six places that was burned to the ground.”

 

Everyone snaps their gaze to stare wide eyed at the innocent looking young man in front of them.

 

“Obviously I wasn’t alive yet,” he quickly continues, “but my mother and father were both born and raised there for a short time until the night of the attack. They were only eight and eleven when it happened, but their families were good friends before it all went south. That night, they were awakened by screaming. Their parents forced them out of bed, and fearing for their lives, they immediately tried to escape. My grandmother is the one who is solely responsible for my being here today, as her magic gave her the ability to alter the awareness of others. They watched, practically invisible to any passerby, as their homes were pillaged and sacked by an army of soldiers from the capital, but they managed to make their way out of town before obviously going into hiding.”

 

Chris takes this as his cue to speak up once again, pointing at a letter at the right end of the table.

 

“It was the day after the attacks that another official statement was released. Using the six villages as an example, it insists that all magicians are a threat, and states that no individual should be trusted. It was easy to ramp up the horrible destruction that occurred, as the people who created the notice relied heavily on graphic descriptions of the violence, easily swaying the non-magic users so that they became scared for their lives. This is also when they requested that any and all magicians or magical activity was to be reported to the giant surplus of guards now roaming the kingdom, and of course that is when the raids on magical homes started, and I’m sure you all know the rest.”

 

Shock. That is the only thing Yuuri can comprehend at the moment. Someone had actively tried to wipe out every single magical person and no one even knows about it. The rest of his family looks equally disturbed, and his mother raises her hand in order to gently wipe a few tears off her cheeks. Toshiya quickly wraps an arm around her shoulders, trying to provide some sort of comfort as she is forced to relive everything her family had suffered through. This time, however, her harsh memories are now accompanied with the realization that her father was killed just because someone wanted them out of the picture.

 

Naturally, Mari is the first one to speak up, but this time her voice is barely more than a breath, and much more vulnerable than before.

 

“Why? Who would do such a horrible thing?”

 

“That’s something we have yet to figure out.” Chris calmly replies, sympathetically looking at each family member. “Over the past four years, our group has traveled around in order to find out the truth, and along the way, we meet people like Phichit. People who hold little bits and pieces of the puzzle that we’re working on putting together.”

 

More silence follows as they let the information sink in. Yuuri looks at all of the papers spread before him once more, and mulls it over in his head. With everything Chris and Phichit described, and each letter, declaration, and shred of proof they had compiled on the table before them, it is getting hard to deny the horrible possibility that this is the real truth. But the longer he thinks about it all, the more plausible it seems. Lifting his head to meet Chris’ eyes, he stares straight into the deep green colour before speaking up.

 

“Why does your group want to find out what really happened?”

 

Chris eagerly meets his gaze, focusing all of his attention on him and giving him a warm smile.

 

“Because we want to see the day where magic can be reunited with society. Not just for our benefit, but so that my friends, like Phichit, and people like your family, can stop living like they might be killed if they dare show who they really are. I told you that I just want to help, and everyone in our group has their own personal reasons for joining our cause as well, but personally, I believe that maybe one day we’ll all be free, and magic could very well be the answer that can heal the scars created by so much madness.”

 

Yuuri blinks. He wasn’t expecting such a genuine answer, but now he knows he made the right decision earlier when he saved the man’s life. Thinking everything over, he realizes that deep down he has always hoped that one day things might get better, that one day he won’t have to hike an hour out of town just to make the wind pick up and the rain flow around him in a dance. There could be a time where his family doesn’t have to hide anymore, where his mother could become the village healer and even Mari could probably find a way to utilize her abilities. But Chris’ group is out in the world trying to do exactly that. Actively working together to make things better rather than sitting around and waiting for someone else to make a change. That thought is all it takes for Yuuri to decide, and he rapidly stands up only to hastily bend into a deep bow.

 

“Please, let me join your group until magic can finally return to the kingdom.”


	10. Katsuki Love

The words have barely left his mouth before a crushing silence fills the room. Out of all the ways he expected his life to go, let alone the past twenty four hours, this was definitely an unexpected turn of events. As Yuuri remains standing in a deep bow, the lack of response is beginning to make a lump form in his throat.  The sudden burst of confidence and determination has rapidly died as his mind finally comprehends all of the repercussions of his actions, and yet he can’t bring himself to move a muscle, waiting for someone else to break the tension.

 

“It might take years Yuuri. Are you prepared to leave your family behind to join our cause?” Chris asks.

 

There is a moment of hesitation.

 

“Yes.” He breathes out.

 

“Are you sure?” The older man questions once again. “We don’t stay in one place for too long and we don’t exactly come back to visit. You need to be dedicated, willing to live on the road. Not only that but you are a magician, the chances of your discovery will significantly increase when you leave the safety of your home. Just like Phichit, your life will be in jeopardy out in the open, and considering the rumors, it’s a dangerous risk.”

 

“Rumors?” Yuuri inquires, finally straightening his posture and staring at Chris with a confused look on his face.

 

“Nasty rumors.” Phichit adds with a grim expression. “People claim that any magicians discovered by the guards are immediately arrested and taken into custody. Not only that, but if a citizen reports one, they pay a bounty for turning them in, and sadly that motivates the wrong kind of people. As far as I know, no one has ever heard from any one of them ever again, but people still talk. They say that magicians who are captured are taken away to be experimented on with horrible, inhumane methods, and according to some it’s practically torture. Of course no one has ever supplied proof for these claims, but myths always seem to have some shred of truth that they are based off of.”

 

The Katsuki family knows all too well of the bounty hunters that make their way from town to town trying to make some easy money, but thankfully they’ve never had anyone cause any trouble in Hasu. That being said, it still doesn’t stop the word of mouth that travels around as well, and Phichit is right when he mentioned that no one knows for sure what happens after the arrest. Everyone is staring expectantly at Yuuri now. Chris and Phichit seem to be patiently waiting for his response, but his family is wearing similarly shocked expressions at the sudden development. After he still doesn’t speak up for another lengthy minute, Mari finally stands up beside him.

 

“You can’t seriously be considering this Yuuri. It’s practically a suicide mission! There’s no point in you going if it costs you your life.”

 

Something about his older sister’s words stings. Half of him thinks that maybe it is because he is just too stubborn to admit she’s right, but the other half is screaming at him to defend his decision and prove himself to be more than capable of making his own choices.

 

“But there is a reason. If we can find out why everything happened the way it did, then maybe one day we can finally live the lives we all wanted in the first place. We wouldn’t be hiding anymore, and we wouldn’t have to worry about one of us leaving the house and never coming back.”

 

“But we do Yuuri!” She firmly states as her voice begins to grow louder. “You! You may never come back!”

 

It only takes a few seconds before angry tears start sliding down Mari’s cheeks. It is not often that she lets her emotions show so easily, but Yuuri knows for a fact that when it comes to her family she defends them without restraint. He also knows that she is just trying to protect him, and seeing his sister cry pulls at his heart strings, making his earlier conviction waiver.

 

_‘Maybe I should just stay. Let Chris and his team finish the work they’ve started while I help take care of my family... But if I leave and we can finally be magicians again, then we wouldn’t need to be struggling so much anyway…’_

Yuuri finally takes a moment to look over at his parents who are still sitting next to each other on the couch. Based off of their sullen features and hunched shoulders, it is obvious that they are disheartened to hear the current debate, but he knows that in the end they will support him no matter what. Especially his mother. Everything that she had to go through in her life isn’t fair, and leaving his family will be another hard step for them all, but if he has the chance to make things right for her and every other magician in the kingdom and didn’t do anything to help, he knows that he will regret it until the day he dies. Taking a deep breath in, he turns back to his sister and strengthens his resolve.

 

“I’m sorry Mari. Just know that I want to do this. I want to do this so that you, mom, and dad, can be safe. There is no guarantee that once I leave I’m never coming back, and as soon as this is over, I will come back, I promise you that.”

 

His decision is a heavy weight filling the space, and it feels like ages before someone acknowledges his choice, but the next thing he knows Mari is crushing him in a bruising hug. He quickly wraps his arms around her and leans into the embrace, relishing in the familiar contact between siblings and ignoring the growing wet patch he can feel on his shoulder. But between the tears and sobbing breaths, Mari eventually manages to mumble a few words into his shirt.

 

“You better keep that promise.”

 

Hearing her sound so broken makes him squeeze her even tighter, and the sentimentality of it all makes his eyes water. Both Toshiya and Hiroko take the opportunity to stand, joining in on the hug without a care in the world that their guests are quietly watching the whole scene unfold. Then, just like a twig snapping, Yuuri finally starts crying, and they all find comfort in each other’s presence as they hold on to the moment for a little bit longer.

 

A minute or two passes by, and a throat clearing brings them all back to reality as they proceed to separate and sit back down on the couch with red rimmed eyes. Yuuri looks over to see Chris standing now, looking apologetic for having to break up the beautiful moment, but the man apparently needs to wrap things up. He looks over his shoulder and nods to Phichit, and without any questions, the young man immediately starts packing up their papers. The blonde quickly turns back to address the family, and a small smile graces his features as he notices that they have moved to sit together as close as they possibly can on the couch.

 

“Sorry to interrupt but we need to be heading back for the night. Our captain should be returning either tonight or tomorrow morning, and we will be heading out before noon. Yuuri, please bring your personal effects to the hostel at 10:00 a.m. the latest. We have horses and covered carriages, so pack anything you might want to bring with you on the road.”

 

Yuuri quickly nods his understanding and the man promptly continues.

 

“I assume you all know to keep the existence of our group to yourselves. Thank you for trusting me and hearing me out. I hope to bring you good news the next time we meet.”

 

With that, Chris offers a slight bow to the family before he accepts his satchel from Phichit and the pair head back down the stairs. The family can hear them grabbing their boots and jackets, followed by the well-known sound of the back door opening and closing shortly after, but they all remain seated. So much has happened in one day that changes their lives forever, and the quiet contemplation is eventually broken by the sound of Yuuri’s soft voice.

 

“I’m going to miss all of you so much.”

 

He feels another round of tears already threatening to spill from his eyes, and as he is taking another deep breath his mother is the first to reply.

 

“And we’re going to miss you even more. Just promise that you’ll be careful out there. I know you might want to believe that there are still good people in the world, but please, do not let people use that against you.”

 

The serious tone can only imply that her life of experience has taught her some valuable lessons, and Yuuri takes her words to heart before his sister speaks up.

 

“As soon as you get home safe and sound I’m going to kick your ass for leaving.”

 

Mari’s attempt at lightening the mood works, and her loving threat only makes Yuuri smile as the tension between them fades into a sense of sibling solidarity. The next thing he knows, the familiar low tone of his father’s voice is joining in on the giant ball of sappy commentary.

 

“As you know, I don’t know how any of you might feel when you speak about magic, but I do know one thing, that the atrocities that were committed fifty years ago didn’t stop at the magicians. Every single person alive during that time has walked away with a scar if they survived, be it physical or emotional. My only wish is that you go out there and make a difference in this world Yuuri, not just for us, but for everyone.”

 

Generally Toshiya is a man of few words, but when he does speak, it usually contains a certain wisdom that can only be attained by a person far beyond his years. Yuuri takes each and every sentence they spoke and locks them away in his mind for later, preferring to cherish the time that they have together now before his choice takes him away for gods knows how long. But right now he has his family, and he appreciates every second he gets with them.

 

“I love you guys.” He whispers.

 

Opening up his arms, everyone cuddles back together as they all voice their feelings as well. It has been an extraordinarily long day and a surprisingly late night. Everyone is exhausted, and it is not long until they all decide that they need to get some rest. Untangling themselves from each other’s limbs, they say their goodnights before retreating to their rooms while Hiroko quickly runs downstairs to lock up.

 

As soon as his bedroom door clicks closed behind him, Yuuri takes a moment to lean back against the wood and let everything sink in. Finally alone, a cold chill sweeps over his body, and he quickly strips out of his still damp clothes and hangs them over the foot of his bed. He can’t help but shiver now that he isn’t surrounded by a warm blanket or even warmer family members, and so he pulls on a pair of clean boxers and slides under the covers, desperately conserving his only heat source. As his body eventually relaxes into the soft mattress, he finds himself staring up at the ceiling as he begins to ruminate on what’s to come.

 

_‘This may be the last time I get to sleep in my own bed… and this will be the first time I ever leave town in my life... I wonder how long it will take to complete the mission… or if we ever will… I guess if we never get to the bottom of everything I would probably be allowed to come back and die of old age at least... But I know that one day things will eventually work out one way or another, and if we can finally live happy and free in my lifetime it would be even better… And yet, even if I believe that, it is still going to be so hard being so far away from my family… It’s not like I want to leave them for no reason… but I love them… and I will do anything to keep them safe, and hopefully, make their lives better.’_

 

Yuuri’s thoughts drift around in his head as he lays still, patiently waiting and yet silently begging for sleep to claim him. It is always hard to fully relax when he is thinking so much, but soon, the quiet settles around him, and he mercifully slips into a dreamless sleep before he leaves his childhood home forever.


	11. The New Recruit

As the morning sun begins to rise, the Katsuki’s begin to stir. Yuuri shifts in his sleep as the sunlight starts to stream through his window, but he refuses to move for the moment, perfectly content with trying to avoid the day for as long as he possibly can. A solid beam of light slowly crawls across his room until it finally rests directly on his face, but he quickly pulls the covers over his head, attempting to cling to what little darkness he has left. It’s not long before it becomes too hot and uncomfortable, and so resigning to his fate, he throws off the sheets and sits up with a groan, gently rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he arches his back and stretches his limbs. He can hear the birds begin to sing out in the forest, and the familiar surroundings ground him to the peaceful moment. Breathing in the familiar scent of home, he takes his time looking around his minimalistic room and thinking about everything that has happened in his life that led him to this point.

 

The few minutes of silence are suddenly broken when a soft knock raps on his door. Before he can respond, the door is slowly pushed open and his mother peaks inside. She gives Yuuri a small smile and he returns the gesture.

 

"Good morning baby boy.” She softly says.

 

“Good morning mom.”

 

“You should come down and eat something before you head out.”

 

He solemnly nods. “I will.”

 

With another lengthy glance at her son, Hiroko eventually retreats back through the door and heads downstairs, and Yuuri is left to himself once again. With a sigh, he stands up and heads over to the lone cabinet in the small room, taking out his only backpack and laying it on his bed. Leisurely, he changes into some fresh clothes, attempts to comb his hair with his fingers, and starts packing the rest of his belongings into the bag. Several shirts, a couple pants, some socks, underwear, two sweaters, his long cloak, and a heavy jacket. Neatly folding and inserting them into the knapsack, he finishes all of his packing in a matter of minutes, but all the while he wonders if he should bring something to remind him of home as well. If he had the option, he would pack up and move a single hot spring wherever he went, but unfortunately, that’s one comfort he will have to live without. Looking towards his bedside table, Yuuri considers a potential contender as he eyes his most prized possession.

 

When he was only ten years old, there was a caravan that came into the village. They were a troupe of entertainers that travelled from town to town, hosting a fair for a few nights before moving on. His family was lucky enough to gain their business while they were in town, and a young Yuuri managed to befriend some of the members during their stay. One night, a woman that was as kind as Hiroko, decided to repay the Katsuki’s hospitality by sketching a picture of their family, dedicating it to a sweet little boy that never failed to make her smile.

Yuuri moves to pick up the now framed, old paper from the table and gently smiles, carefully running his finger along the edges as he reminisces over his youth. It’s time for a new chapter in his life, but not a day will go by that he won’t miss his family. Taking a moment to think, he carefully removes the worn parchment out of the bulky frame, and quickly takes the drawing out into the sitting area. Pulling a small book from one of the shelves, he flips it open and carefully places the picture inside before shutting the novel and moving back into his room. He tucks the small book into his bag, closes the latch, and takes one last look around, trying to think if there is anything else he might need. When nothing comes to mind, he shoulders his backpack, heads to the door, and glances back one last time before he heads downstairs.

 

The rest of his family is busy in the kitchen, prepping for their day. Toshiya is back on his feet, Mari is making some porridge for breakfast, and Hiroko is already cutting up vegetables. As soon as they notice Yuuri leaning against the doorframe watching them, they all take a break from their work to eat together. There is an underlying tension among the family this morning, and although it is not hostile, it is still strong enough to create a sense of unease that permeates the air. A weak attempt to keep up some light conversation is made by the four family members, but they all know they are just trying to avoid the heavy topic of what’s to come.

 

When breakfast is completed, the time finally arrives for Yuuri to leave, and everyone groups together in a big hug as they stand in the middle of the kitchen. Tears are shed by them all, but no one attempts to move away, as they all choose to relish in the final moments that they have together for the foreseeable future. Finally, Mari takes a deep breath before taking a step back, and the others follow.

 

“We’re all going to miss you.” Mari states, voice wavering slightly.

 

“I know. And I’m going to miss all of you just as much.” Yuuri manages to say, fighting to force out his voice past the rapidly growing lump in his throat.

 

“Please be careful baby boy. Even if you never figure out the truth, you can always come back home, no matter what.” Hiroko reminds him, smiling at her son.

 

“And remember, we will always love you and we’ll be waiting for you to come home.” Toshiya quickly adds.

 

Yuuri has to hold back more tears as he watches his family give him their blessings. He quickly nods when he realizes that no more words are able to leave his mouth without him breaking down, and so he gives them the most encouraging smile he can muster before taking a deep breath and grabbing his backpack. Heading towards the front door, they say their goodbyes one final time and Yuuri steps outside. If he looks back now, he might not be able to leave, and so he strengthens his resolve, stares straight ahead, and keeps walking away from his home and towards the center of town.

 

The farther he goes, the easier he finds it is to breathe again. The fresh air is helping calm his nerves, while focusing on his walking and his expectations of what’s to come occupies his thoughts just enough to avoid thinking too much about his family. His feet expertly take him farther into town, and not even five minutes later, he finds himself staring at the hustle and bustle happening in front of the lodge.

 

The normally relaxing and calm atmosphere, has been replaced with dozens of men moving back and forth between the housing and several stationary carriages sitting nearby. They are all carrying out large boxes, backpacks, and duffle bags, and loading them into the limited space. A constant thrumming of murmurs and movement of both the caravans and curious townsfolk fills the area, and Yuuri looks around to see if he can find a familiar face. He slowly walks forward, scanning the crowd for the two people he actually knows, when he suddenly locks eyes with an excited young man whose answering smile is surprisingly reassuring. Phichit quickly drops off the box he was carrying at one of the wagons and immediately runs over to greet him.

 

“Yuuri! I am so glad you came!” Phichit exclaims with a big smile plastered on his face as he lifts Yuuri up in a big hug.

 

“U-uh, yeah.” Yuuri giggles as he is swung around in a large circle like a ragdoll.

 

It is hard to refrain from laughing when the bubbly person in front of him produces enough joy for a whole city, and once his feet are back on the ground, he finds himself with a smile on his face and a much lighter heart.

 

“Mind giving me some help figuring out what to do? I just got here and I don’t want to get in the way.”

 

“Of course!”

 

Another thousand watt smile is thrown at Yuuri before he is grabbed by the wrist and led towards the wagons. They carefully make their way through the commotion, and as they approach, he examines three covered carriages grouped together, two of which are already filled with an assortment of gear. In the third, he sees a man arranging the luggage to make sure everything fits, and when they walk up to the back, he stops his work to stare at the odd pair.

 

“Hey Phichit! Who’s your friend?”

 

The strangers happy tone is a stark contrast to his deep blue iris’ that rove over the young man, scrutinizing every inch of his body. As he stands to his full height in the back of the wagon, Yuuri can tell the man is muscular but lean. His pale skin, dark black hair, and narrow face, easily peg him as another foreigner, but denote that his origins are from a location separate from Phichit and Chris.

 

“This is my new friend Yuuri!” Phichit enthusiastically begins. “He lives in the village over at Yutopia. He’s the one Chris told us about, and now he has decided he wants to come with us!”

 

Apparently that is all the explanation the other man needs before he smiles. “It’s nice to meet you Yuuri. My name is Georgi Popovich, but of course you can just call me Georgi. Any friend of Phichit’s is a friend of mine.”

 

Yuuri gives the man a polite smile. “It’s nice to meet you too.”

 

“You can leave your bag here with him and he’ll store it for you.” Phichit supplies, and Yuuri quickly follows the advice given by his companion and hands over his backpack. “In the meantime, we can go introduce you to some of the other members of our group!”

 

Before Yuuri can register Phichit’s sentence, a firm hand slips down his back and gropes his ass. He lets out an undignified squeak and jumps away from the touch, spinning around to face the person behind him. Chris’ laugh fills his ears as he tries to calm down and control the colour rushing to his cheeks, and soon any attempt is thwarted as the older man sends him a cheeky wink.

 

“Well, well, well. Yuuri, I must say I’m glad you came.”

 

The emphasis on his greeting and the smirk makes Yuuri stutter.

 

“H-hi Chris. Phichit was just about to introduce me to some of the others.”

 

“That would be wonderful, but it will have to wait. I want to introduce you to our captain, and Phichit has to help with the last few duties before we head out.”

 

A strong pout fills the tanned man’s face before he reluctantly accepts his fate. “Fine… We’ll talk again soon Yuuri!” With that, Phichit quickly turns and hurries off towards some grazing horses that still needed to be saddled up.

 

Yuuri looks back to Chris, who gives his head a little tilt backwards, suggesting that the younger man should follow. As they proceed walk over to the front entrance of the hostel, Yuuri can’t help but feel a little nervous about meeting the mysterious captain, and he silently hopes that the man isn’t as stone cold and strict as some of the captains he’s heard about over the years from other caravans. The pair quickly walk through the front door, and as Yuuri looks around, he can see the inside is a simple set up with a plain, old, front desk in the center of the foyer, and hallways on either side that immediately lead to the rooms. Chris smoothly guides them down one of the corridors to a room in the back corner, and when they finally enter, Yuuri’s breath is taken away.

 

Inside the room, a tall, slender man is standing, hunched over a desk and looking at a map. He is dressed in a simple white button down and brown pants, with a longsword sitting in its sheath on his hips. The man’s clothing accents the lithe, muscular build underneath, and as Yuuri’s eyes trail upwards, he notices that he has the most unusual, yet oddly fitting, short platinum hair, with a fringe that hangs across his left eye. Speaking of eyes, the moment they fully enter, the man looks up to acknowledge his visitors, and the morning sun that sprinkles through the window is making his eyes light up like a crystal clear sky in the middle of summer, with a colour just as blue. Upon seeing Chris, the man gives him a huge open mouthed smile, eyes gently crinkling at the corners as the grin expands across the man’s flawless face, and Yuuri finds himself frozen to the spot, mouth slightly agape as he takes in the sight before him. Once the man is done greeting his friend, his attention turns to Yuuri, and something odd flashes in his eyes but it is quickly replaced by a warm, sincere smile.

 

_'I don't think I've ever seen anyone as beautiful as him...'_ Yuuri's sudden intrusive thought surprises himself.

 

“Captain,” Chris begins, “may I introduce you to Yuuri Katsuki, the man I informed you about earlier this morning.”

 

“It is a pleasure to meet you Yuuri.” The man walks closer and he reaches out to grab Yuuri’s hand that is still hanging loosely by his side. “We’re all happy to have you joining our little band of misfits.” With those few words, he gently grasps and raises the young man’s hand, placing a brief kiss to the back of it with a wink, and if that wasn’t enough, another heart stopping smile is aimed in Yuuri’s direction.

 

Red crashes over his entire face and he is left gaping at the man before him.

_‘Is everyone in this group so forward?’_  

 

The thought is interrupted when he realizes he is going to need to speak like a normal human being, and he fumbles for a moment before responding.

 

“T-the honor is all mine Captain.”

 

The man laughs, the sweet sound enticing Yuuri even further into his own rabbit hole.

 

“Just Victor is fine. Chris just likes to be formal with newbies around.”

 

“Oh. Okay then. It’s nice to meet you, Victor.” He surprises himself again with how normal he sounds.

 

“It’s nice to meet you too, Yuuri.”

 

Another look passes across the man’s face as Yuuri’s name effortlessly rolls off of Victor’s tongue, but he quickly turns back to the map he was examining on the table before anything else occurs.

 

“Have you decided on where to go next?” Chris asks.

 

Welcoming the change of topic, Yuuri starts to focus on gathering his thoughts and breathing normally again while the two group members talk.

 

“I think we should just head out east towards Luften. We’ll keep our heads down as per usual, but maybe we’ll pick up some useful info along the way.” Victor pauses and looks back towards the two men with a contemplative expression worrying his face. “Do you know how to ride a horse Yuuri?”

 

Another sudden blush quickly rises as a sense of embarrassment fills the young man. Despite growing up in a small village and spending his life working and helping his family, he never needed to learn how to ride, in fact he’s never even touched a horse before. The redness claiming his cheeks and the hesitation seem to be the only answer the others need.

 

“It’s alright, I’m sure you’ll learn in no time.” Victor says without an ounce of judgment, his tone putting Yuuri at ease. “But until then, we’ll just let you sit in the front of one of the wagons with someone. Chris, can you introduce him to Mila and explain that Yuuri will be riding along with her?”

 

“Of course. I believe Georgi was just finishing loading up the rest of the gear when we came inside, so we should be ready to head out in a few minutes.”

 

“Excellent. I’ll be out in a moment and we can get a move on.” Victor throws one last glance at Yuuri and smiles. “I look forward to getting to know you Yuuri.”

 

It takes everything Yuuri has to swallow and nod before Victor turns back towards the last few items in the room in order to finish gathering his belongings. Chris chuckles to himself and seems to take this as a dismissal, motioning once again for Yuuri to follow him as he turns to head back outside. He sets a brisk pace but Yuuri is hot on his heels, not wanting to be left on his own as they make their way back to the carriages, and this time, they are all packed to the brim and each hooked up to two horses. Yuuri sees Phichit and Georgi leading some of the single horses out from the back, all saddled up and ready to go, and a few people are climbing onto wagons and hopping into place atop horses, but in total, Yuuri counts only seven people.

 

“Where did everyone go?” Yuuri asks, confused at the significant decrease in people from earlier.

 

“Oh, they were just people from a different caravan. There was a few groups coming and going through the town during our stay, so it’s not unusual that we ended up leaving on the same day as some others.”

 

“So, that means your group only has seven people?”

 

Chris stops walking and looks back at Yuuri. “Yes, is that a problem?”

 

“N-no! Of course not. I just expected there to be more of you I guess…”

 

Chris laughs. “Like I said last night, it’s better if not too many people know about us, and it’s because of that, that we keep our numbers to a reasonable amount.”

 

Yuuri nods as they continue walking back to the small gathering of people. Chris walks straight up to one of the three people he has yet to meet and strikes up some friendly conversation. Trailing behind, he catches up just as Chris turns to present him to his companion.

 

“Yuuri, I’d like you to meet Mila Babicheva. You’ll be riding with her for the time being.”

 

Yuuri quickly observes the woman standing in front of them. She has bright red, wavy hair, which is cut short just above her shoulders. She has a small build and is quite thin, but her face is round and fills with a welcoming smile.

 

“It’s nice to meet you.” He says once again, as if it is the only way he knows how to greet new people.

 

Despite what he believes to be a very monotonous response, her blue eyes sparkle and her smile grows bigger as she looks Yuuri over.

 

“Likewise! We’re a pretty cheery bunch so I hope you’re ready to make some new friends, considering we’re gonna be stuck together for the time being. You especially have to watch out for Phichit, because there is no way to resist his natural charm.”

 

This makes Yuuri laugh. ”Believe me, I already know I don’t stand a chance against him.”

 

Mila’s grin becomes wider once again. “And if you have any questions, I’ll be happy to answer any you might have along the way. I hear it’s your first time out on the road so don’t hesitate to ask if you want clarification on anything.”

 

“Thank you, I’ll probably take you up on that.”

 

Chris takes this moment to interrupt their conversation. “Victor said he was going to be out in a minute so get settled, we’ll be leaving momentarily. I have to go and spread the word, but I trust you’ll be in good hands Yuuri. Good luck!”

 

Chris gives a final wink at the pair and walks off, and Yuuri finds himself staring at the man’s back before Mila lightly touches his shoulder. He turns his attention toward her as she gives him another warm smile, probably sensing the tension building in his body as their departure gets closer. Giving his arm a squeeze, she turns her body to lead Yuuri to their wagon, and he follows almost mechanically as everything settles in his mind.

 

_‘I’m about to leave. I don’t know where I’m going or where I’ll end up, hell I barely know the group I’m going to be living with for the foreseeable future.’_ He tries to take some deep breaths as Mila settles herself on the bench at the front of a carriage, motioning for Yuuri to sit next to her. _‘At least everyone seems to be nice, and if they are truly fighting to save the lives of magicians, then I have no reason to question them, right?’_ He climbs up next to Mila, taking a seat and clenching his fists in his lap. _‘Is this really what I want to do? I don’t have any obligation to help these people, even if they want to make things better. But I want to make the world a better place too, and I’m not doing this for them. I’m doing it for me and my family, and that’s what matters.’_

“Yuuri? Are you alright?”

 

Mila’s voice breaks his concentration, and he looks over to see her brow furrowed and concern written across her face.

 

“I-I’m alright. Just nervous I guess.”

 

Yuuri doesn’t even notice that he’s wringing his hands together until Mila reaches over and places her small hands over his.

 

“It’s ok.” Mila says, the cadence of her voice so soft that Yuuri feels compelled to look into her eyes where he can only see a genuine resolve. “I know it is scary leaving home, but you can always come back if you really want to. We’re not kidnapping you, and we’re not cruel. It probably doesn’t help that you don’t really know any of us, and that’s understandable, however, I must say that we are all good people once you get to know us. You know the reason why we’re doing this, so please, promise me you’ll at least try to get to know everyone, and overtime you’ll feel more comfortable and less like an outsider. As of right now, you are already considered a part of our little ragtag family, so if you ever want to consider us a part of yours, then we’ll be happy to have you.”

 

Her words have a strange calming effect over him, and he feels as if he doesn’t have any other option but to agree, and so he gently nods. She gives him a small smile, and as he smiles back, he hears a loud voice cut through the surrounding noise.

 

“Alright everyone, now that we’re all ready to go, we will be heading out east towards the next town. We will spend a few days on the road so don’t work the horses too hard. If there’s no objections, let’s get going!”

 

Victor’s voice rings clear in Yuuri’s mind. This is it. Mila engages the reins, and starts coercing the horses into a slow but steady walk out of town. The rest of the caravan falls into an orderly arrangement, with two single riders in the front, two in the back, and the three carriages sandwiched in between. Chris and Victor are riding up front, followed by Yuuri and Mila’s wagon, then Georgi’s, then another woman with long, dark hair that Yuuri has yet to meet, and then another unknown man is bringing up the rear with Phichit. The group looks as if they have done this a million times. They all easily match speeds and find a comfortable pace for everyone, and it isn’t long until the small village of Hasu disappears behind the trees.


	12. Rocky Road

Yuuri is fascinated. As soon as they leave, it doesn’t take long for them to roll past the farthest point he has ever travelled before. The cart rattles down the dirt road, and Mila looks like she is surprisingly comfortable on the hard, wooden bench as they bounce along. Yuuri on the other hand, feels as if his butt already wants to die, and it has barely been half an hour. He shifts around on the seat, trying to get a little more comfortable when he hears Mila laugh.

 

“It’ll be a rough ride for a few days until you get used to it, but we take breaks every few hours for the horses, so at least you have something to look forward to.”

 

She gives him an amused smile as she readjusts her hold on the reins and turns her attention back to the road. Yuuri finds himself wishing that the next two hours could go by faster, but to pass the time, he decides that he should maybe try making a new friend.

 

“So, how long have you been with the group?” He manages to ask.

 

“About three years.” Mila replies easily. “I joined when it was still just Victor, Chris, and Phichit. After that, we met Georgi, Seung-gil, and Sara, all fairly close together during the past two years.”

 

Yuuri envies how effortlessly the redhead seems to be able to accommodate open conversation, and he tries his best to keep the ball rolling.

 

“I haven’t met Sara and Seung-gil yet, are they as nice as everyone else?”

 

A smile creeps onto Mila’s face. “Seung-gil is more of the tsundere, silent type, but Sara, well, she’s the light of my life.”

 

The woman’s explanation takes Yuuri off guard, and he looks over only to find a lovesick expression plastered on Mila’s face.

 

“So, you two are together?”

 

She lets out a fond chuckle. “If we weren’t, I think I would’ve gone crazy by now. We met in a small town similar to yours, and as soon as we saw each other things just fell into place. We were only staying for a few days, but when the time came for me to leave, she packed up her bags and came with me.”

 

“Wow... Just like that?”

 

“Just like that.”

 

“What is she like?”

 

The question makes Mila slip into another dopey grin. “She’s beautiful, kind, bubbly, generous, smart, and the sweetest woman on the face of the earth. I’m sure you’ll like her a lot. Me and her are fairly similar when it comes to personality, so hopefully that means you like me as well.”

 

“Everyone has been so kind to me so far, there’s no way I couldn’t like you guys. I just hope I’m worth the trouble. After what happened with Chris, I guess I’m still worried that everyone might be scared of me…” Yuuri can’t help but look down, and the young man begins fiddling with his hands in his lap as he waits for a response.

 

“Yuuri. Please look at me.”

 

Mila’s words are so soft and gentle, that for a moment he is surprised that he even heard them at all. After a few more seconds of struggling with his self-worth, he reluctantly raises his head, and as their eyes connect, he feels a familiar sense of calm wash over him.

 

“Do you believe that all people are still scared of magicians?”

 

“Maybe not everyone…” Yuuri admits. “But Mila, I killed three people, two of them with my magic. There is no way that anyone could look at me and think I’m not a threat once they know what I did.”

 

“But what you did was in the name of self-defense, plus you saved Chris’ life. We were all informed of the situation this morning, and no one considers you a threat. Please don’t beat yourself up over trying to survive. Do you think any of us are dangerous?”

 

The question takes Yuuri by surprise. “N-no!” He stammers out. “Of course not!”

 

“Even after you saw Chris slit a man’s throat?” Mila continues. “When he’s as good as a stranger to you since you’ve only known him for a few days? Scratch that, a few hours?”

 

Yuuri admits she has a fair point. “Well I was shocked in the beginning… Terrified when it was happening… And after everything was over we were both being very cautious around each other… But we both killed people… After that, he told me about what you guys are doing, and although I’m still a little skeptical, I’ve never felt uncomfortable around him… I know it sounds kind of weird or crazy, but the only reason those men died was because it was either them or us, so in a way we didn’t have a choice… Once I realized that, I never felt like I needed to consider him a potential threat anymore.”

 

“And I’m sure he felt the same way.”

 

“But he’s not a magician.” He points out with a sigh. “These days humanity is still convinced that people like me should be arrested or killed because of what we might do. I wouldn’t blame any of you if you still held onto some of those judgments...”

 

“Yuuri…” Mila sighs. “Do you think I’m dangerous?” She asks, as her voice takes on a somber tone.

 

“What? I already told you no. Why would I think that?”

 

“Because I’m a magician too.”

 

Yuuri’s eyes widen. “What? Really?”

 

“Yup. My father was one as well but he passed away when I was still young. I learned enough from my mother to understand who and what I am, even though my magic is very subtle.”

 

“I never realized… If you don’t mind my asking, what are you able to do?”

 

Mila hums. “It’s kind of hard to describe… I assume Phichit told you about his grandmother?”

 

Yuuri nods. “A little bit.”

 

“Well, it’s kind of like that, except for instead of tampering with people’s awareness, I have the ability to calm people down more or less. I can vary the strength of it as well, ranging from relaxing people when they are angry or stressed, to soothing someone so completely that they fall asleep for a short duration of time.”

 

Blinking, the young man considers how he suddenly felt calmer after they were getting ready to leave. “Did you use your magic on me earlier? Back in Hasu?”

 

Mila gives him a shy smile. “Yeah… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but you looked like you were about to panic before we left… And when you were being so hard on yourself a few minutes ago I just couldn’t help myself…”

 

“Is that why Victor told me to ride with you?”

 

“Maybe? I can’t give you an honest answer since I don’t know how to read minds, but it would be a smart move for settling any newcomer’s nerves.”

 

“It’s almost like you can control other people’s emotions…” Yuuri mumbles, almost to himself as he attempts to wrap his head around this new, unseen, magic.

 

His statement however doesn’t go unnoticed, and Mila quickly looks away, a frown settling on her face.

 

“Yeah… it may not pose any physical danger to others, but people hate you even more if you can manipulate their minds…”

 

The seemingly cheery woman doesn’t say any more on the topic, and Yuuri doesn’t push. There is obviously a painful history behind her words, and he doesn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable when he is trying to make a friend. Although he has never given much thought about having a different type of magic, he knows that no matter what, being a magician in this day and age isn’t easy.

 

“I’m sorry. I know how hard it can be sometimes…”

 

Her attention is drawn back to him at his words, and a small reassuring smile pulls at her lips. “It’s okay, but now that you know, does that make you feel scared of me?”

 

Yuuri considers her question, and eventually starts shaking his head. “No. You still seem like a very nice individual.”

 

Mila’s smile grows a little bigger. “Good. Now you can stop beating yourself up over what we might think of you. The majority of people in this group haven’t had an easy life, and we’ve all done things we may not be proud of, but we survived. Just like you did. Learning to trust each other is a priority, and now that we’re together we have to let all the regret, anger, and bitterness go, because none of those are going to help us in the long run. Once you do that, you’ll fit right in.”

 

Yuuri can’t think of any words he could say to respond, and so he simply takes some time to let the woman’s words sink in. If she didn’t tell him, he would have never expected there to be more magicians in the small group, but it would make sense if they found them and told them about their cause. Just like himself, he can understand how any magician that is given a chance to change their oppression would almost feel compelled to jump on the opportunity.

 

* * *

 

 

The next few hours fly by, and Yuuri spends his time mulling over the reality of what the group is working towards and where they might end up. Every now and again, he breaks the silence and asks Mila any questions that come to mind, some of which are related to his new life and others are simply pure curiosity. He is so focused on his thoughts, that he doesn’t even notice the time passing, and soon Victor and Chris come to a stop in front of them, hopping off their horses and casually continuing their conversation as they wait for the others to follow their lead. Mila pulls the wagon off to the side of the road and eases the carriage to a stop. The others behind them follow suit, and Yuuri takes that as his cue to get up and stretch his legs. The moment he tries to stand up however, he realizes just how much pain and numbness he ignored, and before he can even get up, he begins to teeter precariously close to the edge of the small platform as his legs collapse beneath him. Luckily, someone is already by his side, grabbing his hand to steady him as he regains his balance.

 

“Be careful, your legs aren’t going to be used to long periods of travel for at least a few days.”

 

The deep, silky smooth voice is easily recognizable, and Yuuri looks toward the man still holding his hand, giving him an awkward but grateful smile.

 

“Thanks Victor... I should’ve thought that through before I stood up so quickly.”

 

Victor responds with a cheesy smile. “Well then, allow me to be a gentleman and help you down.”

 

Embarrassed by the gesture, Yuuri reluctantly agrees, and as soon as he is back on solid ground, Victor lets go of his hand. He tries not to miss the small, fleeting, warmth so much, but there is something about the man that is captivating in every way. He is so focused on the kind action that he almost misses the small, shy, smile that the silver haired man throws his way as they stand next to each other, and he can’t help but fixate on the odd feeling creeping up in his throat. Before he can think too much about the weird sensation, Victor clears his throat and turns to face the rest of the group, as everyone has already dismounted and gathered around Mila’s wagon at the front.

 

“We’ll rest here for half an hour. Detach the horses from the carriage rigs and let them wander close to the grass and stream for a little while.”

 

Without any further instruction, Mila, Georgi, and Sara, all go about helping the horses, while the others begin finding shady spots to hide from the mid-day sun. Yuuri takes this as an opportunity to work out the kinks in his legs, and he starts making his way over to the small stream lining the road, stretching and shaking out his muscles until they finally start to feel at least somewhat normal. The unusually warm fall weather seems to be both a blessing and a curse for their journey, and as brown eyes watch the clear, trickling, brook slither through the woods, he finds it impossible to resist. Bending down to splash some water on his face, his attempt to cool down and drown out the regret of not bringing a hat is exactly the kind of refreshment he needs.

 

Once he finishes wiping away the excess droplets from his brow, Yuuri settles himself underneath a large, leafy tree, leaning back into the trunk and enjoying the shade. Closing his eyes, he focuses on hearing the songs of birds and wind blowing through the trees, and the familiar sounds lull him into a sense of security, surrounding him with the comforting feeling of home. However, it seems his quiet time is doomed to be interrupted, as someone unceremoniously plops down in front of him and waits to be acknowledged. Cracking open a single eye, he finds himself almost glaring at a smug looking Phichit.

 

“Can I help you?” He asks, a little more bluntly than he means to.

 

“Don’t be like that Yuuri!” Phichit whines. “If we’re going to be best friends we have to bond! That’s why we’re going to play twenty questions!”

 

Yuuri sighs and lets out a chuckle. Sitting up, he resigns himself to his new friend’s whims, and as soon as he is ready, he begins answering all the stereotypical questions thrown his direction. The pair cover favorite food, colour, music, and hobbies, and eventually they move on to describing family members, friends, age, life goals, and even start talking about magic.

 

“I already showed you mine the other day.” The tan man says, practically pouting about not being able to see Yuuri and Chris’ epic battle. “Transmutation, whoop-de-doo, but what about you!? Chris said you were able to manipulate water?”

 

Yuuri nods, a slight smile tugging at his lips at his new friend’s enthusiasm. “Yeah but that’s not the only thing.”

 

“Wait, what?” Phichit asks, looking mildly shocked.

 

Yuuri simply shrugs at the question. “Chris only saw me controlling water and turning it into ice, but my magic actually encompasses all four of the natural elements. Water, air, earth, and fire.”

 

Phichit’s eyes are blown wide, and his jaw is practically glued to the floor. “You can do more than one type of magic!?”

 

“I guess technically yes.” Yuuri replies, but his friend’s expression makes him furrow his brow. “Why? Is something wrong?”

 

“I’ve never met, or even heard of a magician capable of more than one type. I know that certain subcategories can be encompassed by a similar umbrella magic, like water manipulation applying to ice, but never different types. Especially things that could be considered polar opposites like fire and water.”

 

“Well, I’ve never met any other magicians outside of my family so I wouldn’t know.”

 

“What about your sister and mother?” Phichit quickly inquires.

 

“Um, I guess they would be what you consider normal? My mother is able to perform healing magic, and my sister is able to conjure protection spells.”

 

Phichit seems to consider the new information before nodding his acceptance. “Well, I guess that means you’re one special magician.”

 

The man’s smile is blindingly bright, but the statement doesn’t sit well with Yuuri. Before he can protest, a broad shouldered Chris drops down beside him, casually wrapping an arm around his shoulders as he slides his back down the tree to join them on the ground.

 

“What are you two doing over here all alone? Anything interesting?” The older man says raising an eyebrow.

 

“We were just talking about how special Yuuri is!” Phichit wastes no time exclaiming. “No time like the present to learn his deepest darkest secrets! I’d like to think I’m doing pretty well considering we’ve only been talking for the past twenty minutes.”

 

“Oh?” Chris’ first eyebrow is now joined by its twin, both of them now raised as he looks back and forth between the pair. “I must say you’ve caught my interest. And what would the sweet, innocent Yuuri be hiding? Other than the fact that he’s a wonderful magician. Any juicy secrets floating around in that head?”

 

Before he can respond normally, stating that he doesn’t really think of anything special, his mind finds that it is the perfect time to supply an unusual thought.

 

_‘I do think of Victor a lot…’_

The young man gives a nervous laugh before directing his attention towards the ground.

 

“Nothing really. I’m just plain ol’ Yuuri. Not much running through my mind.”

 

_‘Aside from a certain Captain…_ ’

 

By now he knows that a blush is beginning to creep up his neck, and the strange tingle in his throat from earlier is beginning to come back at his brazen ruminations. Unsure of where these outrageous thoughts are coming from, another nervous chuckle slips out, and the two men interrogating him suddenly develop shit-eating grins.

 

Eying him suspiciously, Phichit starts to push with a smirk and a sing song voice. “What haven’t you told me Yuuri? I’m your best friend now, you have to tell me everything.”

 

“And I’m a friend who wants to learn more about you.” Chris happily chirps, letting his arm fall back to his side so that he can face Yuuri directly.

 

“Nope. I refuse to talk to either of you any longer.” He responds.

 

“Come on Yuuri.” Phichit prods, leaning in closer. “Is it something dirty?”

 

 “N-no!” He squeaks out.

 

“Is it something romantic?” Chris purrs.

 

“I-I don’t know…”

 

“That wasn’t a no, Yuuri.” Phichit coos triumphantly as he looks over at his partner in crime, no doubt encouraging Chris to continue.

 

Every time they say his name they make the vowels spread out even longer, adding a lilt only to tease him as much as they can while they have the chance. He doesn’t dare take his eyes off of the dirt in front of him as Yuuri starts to sink lower back towards the tree trunk, praying that he could melt into bark if only to remove himself from the awkward situation. However, as he continues to retreat, the other two men shuffle in their spots until they are much closer and fully facing his direction, leaving him no escape. Chris effortlessly continues the interrogation.

 

“So, do you like someone Yuuri?”

 

“What!? No!” He practically screeches.

 

“Are you sure about that? That was a pretty strong denial.” Phichit quickly responds.

 

“N-no! I’ve never liked anyone before.”

 

“Ah, so it’s puppy love? You are still as young and innocent as I thought.” Chris says, way too pleased with himself. “If you need any advice, pointers, or practice, I’d be happy to assist you chéri.”

 

Yuuri wants to die of embarrassment, and as a last resort, he resigns himself to hiding his face in his hands.

 

“Oh Yuuri, you don’t have to be shy around me! I would love to learn about all the little things that make you so… unique.”

 

The tone Chris is using easily gives away his smug grin, and the young man just curls his legs up and rolls onto his side. The other two men immediately start laughing at his dramatics, clearly making a mental note to tease Yuuri as much as they possibly can if only for their own amusement.

 

“Are you guys giving him a hard time already?” Victor’s voice stands out among the giggling. “We’re barely three hours in and it looks like you already broke him.”

 

Yuuri groans while the others continue to laugh even harder at his misery.

 

“The young man was just revealing his secret crush, now weren’t you Yuuri?” Chris impishly offers, prodding at Yuuri’s side.

 

If only to defend the last thread of dignity he has left, Yuuri rapidly scrambles back up against the tree, face beet red. “No! No I was not! I do not have a crush!”

 

“Is it one of the girls?” Phichit prods, picking up right where they left off.

 

Yuuri shuts his mouth. Determined not to let anything else come spilling out.

 

“Or maybe it’s one of the guys?” Chris considers. “I could see him being quite the power bott–”

 

Yuuri squeals and clamps his hand over Chris’ mouth. They all stare wide eyed as his face burns like molten lava and his stare never lifts from his own two hands. Unable to think of any other option, he quickly stands up and walks away, not trusting himself around those two shit-disturbers any longer, with or without talking. He doesn’t dare look over his shoulder as he makes his way back to the stream, and once he is behind the wagons and a few paces into the woods, safe from the claws of Phichit and Chris if only for the moment, he lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

 

Plopping down beside the water, he hangs his head between his knees, taking a few deep breaths to make sure his heart is physically capable of beating normally again. As he begins to calm down, his thoughts start to drift over the previous conversation, cheeks faintly tingling from the blood rush that is still mildly present.

 

_‘I don’t like anyone. That’s just ridiculous. Especially someone from the group. I’ve known most of them for only a few hours. Mila and Sara are together so I would never come between them. As for the guys, I’ve never thought of men that way. It was always taboo in the village since you can’t really start a family. Besides, how would I even know? I don’t think I’ve ever been attracted to anyone before. I haven’t even met Seung-gil, and I definitely don’t feel anything special for Chris and Phichit, those assholes can go get lost in the woods for all I care... As for Victor, he does make a good leader, and there’s just something about him that I can’t put my finger on…’’_  

 

The quiet trickle of water is relaxing, and he almost feels normal before he hears someone making their way over to him, interrupting his train of thought. He quickly looks up to find Victor standing five feet away.

 

_‘Victor…’_ His mind redundantly supplies, before he once again turns a little red and starts scrutinizing the grass.

 

“I’m sorry if the other two went too far, they can be real dicks sometimes.” The older man begins, looking apologetic as he maintains his distance. “I hope you’re not angry with them, they really are good guys.”

 

“N-no!” Yuuri exclaims, quickly looking Victor in the eyes for a few seconds before diverting his gaze once again. “I’m not mad… I’m just not used to everyone being so forward I guess… Not that it’s in a bad way, and not that I mind, I mean, I do, but, I guess I don’t really know how to respond? I’m okay with socializing, I’ve just never talked to anyone so openly before. That, and Chris is a little handsy…”

 

Victor is staring now, mouth slightly agape as he raises a questioning eyebrow, making Yuuri realize what he just said.

 

“But, o-oh gosh not like that! Never like that!” His brown eyes go wide and his blush comes back full force as he waves his hands frantically in between them, trying to get his point across. “It’s not that I wouldn’t want to, but I-I don’t! Not with you guys! Not to say that you all aren’t wonderful people, and I’m sure you’re all great but we just met!” Yuuri is rambling now, and a nervous bubble of laughter comes out before he can stop it. “I-I guess I’m just saying that the whole touchy feely deal will just take some getting used to. And Chris is just so…. Chris... it’s just more of an embarrassment thing because I don’t think anyone has ever grabbed my ass before. B-but I’m not saying that I hate it, I mean, someone touching me that is, just not my ass though, I just, oh god…” He stops himself before the hole he is digging for himself becomes his grave. Sighing in defeat, he drops his head and stares intently at the ground, barely managing to utter out a few final words. “I’d just like to be friends.”

 

“Oh.”

 

_'Oh?'_

 

Yuuri might be mistaken, but he can’t help but think that he hears a little disappointment in the man’s tone.

 

“Well, I for one would love to be your friend.” Victor quickly adds with a genuine smile, but Yuuri notices that it wavers for just a second.

 

All of sudden, Sara jogs over from the direction of the road and interrupts the unusual moment between the two men.

 

“We’ve brought all the horses back to the road Victor, Mila is just connecting the carriages and we’ll be good to go!” She says with a grin, her bubbly personality and friendly cadence not divulging if she overheard any of their conversation.

 

“Thanks Sara.” The older man replies, giving her a nod before she heads back over to the path. The silver haired man turns his attention back to Yuuri, and as blue eyes meet brown once again, he gives the younger man a small smile. “It seems our break time is over, we should start getting everyone back on the road.”

 

It is painstakingly obvious that Victor is acting different from before their little talk in the forest. His usual relaxed posture is more rigid, and the friendly smile that draws the attention of everyone around doesn’t reach his eyes. Conflicted between wanting to ask if something is wrong but not wanting to turn back into a babbling idiot, Yuuri just nods.

 

“Right…” He says, adding an inaudible sigh to release some of the tension he can feel building in his chest.

 

Victor quickly turns and walks away, heading out to double check their belongings, leaving Yuuri to stand alone in the middle of the woods before he finally makes his own way back out towards the road. He immediately sees Victor heading toward Mila and the others at the rear of the convoy, and so he unconsciously starts heading back towards his spot on Mila’s carriage. However, before he can make it to his seat, he comes across Chris and Phichit gossiping in hushed tones.

 

“What did he say to you? And what did you say to him?” Chris asks. “You both look so serious now.”

 

Yuuri just sighs and looks at the two men with a jumbled expression. “To be honest, I don’t know… I think I’m just an idiot.” The other two exchange a quick glance between them before looking back at Yuuri. “He says we should get back on the road though, so I guess it’s time to leave.”

 

Without anything more to add, Yuuri turns away, hoping that maybe Mila can teach him how to hook up the horses in order to take his mind off of everything that just happened.


	13. Put on a Show

As their journey continues, the scenery starts to change, and the forest slowly drifts away as the vast plains come into view. Mila and Yuuri exchange pleasant conversation the whole ride, making the time pass a lot quicker than earlier. He notices that Victor and Chris are riding a little further ahead than before, just out of earshot. If they need to pass on any information, Chris is always the one sent back to act as a middle man, while Victor continues on ahead at the same pace. Yuuri thinks it is a little odd, but since he is the newbie, he just accepts it and assumes it to be normal. Neither Chris nor Mila share anything more than a quick glance the first time it occurs, so he figures it’s probably nothing.

 

After nine hours of riding, with breaks every three hours, the group finds themselves in the middle of the prairies. The sun is starting to get closer to the horizon, and Victor stops to announce that it is time to set up camp for the night. Yuuri quickly dismounts to stretch once again, and when he turns to see what the others are doing, he notices that they are all busy unloading equipment to set up for the evening. It is only then that he realizes his family doesn’t own anything for camping, and so he didn’t think to pack any shelter to use overnight.

 

A mild panic starts to settle in as he quickly scans the group for the person he has spent the most time with, and as soon as he spots her, he heads straight over to Mila. As he briskly walks the short distance to the redhead, he silently thanks Victor for pairing them up in the first place, as the entire day that they spent chatting and getting to know one another made him feel a lot more comfortable with at least one member of the group so far. When he finally reaches his newest friend, he doesn’t even need to speak as she immediately notices his tense behaviour.

 

“Hey Yuuri, what’s wrong?”

 

“I just realized that don’t have any camping supplies with me… My family didn’t need them so I don’t have a tent or anything to use…”

 

He feels ashamed that he is already so unprepared, but Mila just gives him a warm, reassuring smile.

 

“That’s alright! Sara and I actually share a tent so we have some extra supplies that you can use.”

 

Yuuri lets out a breath of relief as the woman quickly turns to grab a small bundle of supplies from the back of the wagon.

 

“Thank you so much, Mila. I’m sorry I’m so much trouble.”

 

“Nonsense!” She replies, offering him the extra camping gear. “I’m always happy to help!”

 

Yuuri quickly gives the woman a small smile as he reaches out to accept the bundle that is placed in his arms, but his grin rapidly turns into a slight frown as he stares down at the assortment of materials with confusion.

 

“Um, I actually don’t know how to set one up either…” He quietly admits.

 

Mila only gives him an apologetic look. “Sorry Yuuri, but Sara and I are on cooking duty tonight, so we don’t have time to help you right away. Maybe ask one of the guys to show you?”

 

“Oh. Okay, I’ll figure something out… Thanks for the tent though, I really do appreciate it.”

 

The redhead gives him another bright smile before she turns back to unpacking cooking equipment from the back of her wagon. Yuuri understands that Mila can’t dedicate all of her time to helping him, and so he leaves to see what everyone else is up to.

 

* * *

 

 

Turns out, they are all busy with their own jobs. Phichit and Seung-gil are off to fetch whatever firewood they can find, Chris and Georgi are out hunting any birds or mammals in the area, and Mila and Sara are already busy selecting a spot to cook and setting up. Looking like a lost puppy, Yuuri just watches from a distance as everyone smoothly transitions into their assigned jobs for the evening. He shifts back and forth on his feet for a few moments before looking down to the neatly wrapped bundle still cradled in his arms. Sighing, he debates on attempting to set it up on his own, but in the end he knows it would be a disaster.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

The sudden voice beside him takes Yuuri by surprise. He poorly suppresses his reflex to jump away and a small yelp is forced out of his mouth before he can stop it. In his haste to escape from the small fright, he ends up dropping his new tent and one hand quickly comes up to cover his poor heart as he steadies his breathing.

 

“Oh I’m sorry!” Victor quickly exclaims. “You looked kind of out of it and I thought something might be wrong...” The man’s voice shifts to a something gentler, almost timid as he addresses Yuuri.

 

“No, it’s okay, you just startled me is all.” The young man says, relaxing his stance before he once again looks down at his sad pile of what should be a shelter and frowns. “I was just trying to figure out how to build a tent…”

 

“Would–” Victor suddenly stops, his voice becoming even quieter as he continues. “…Would you like some help?”

 

Yuuri looks up to meet Victor’s eyes. The older man looks oddly worried, and he sounds significantly less confident than earlier today. The two of them haven’t talked since things became awkward on the first break, but the raven haired man is still unsure what exactly caused the sudden change in behaviour.

 

“I could teach you…” He offers, practically mumbling. “O-only if you want my help of course.”

 

Mildly confused, Yuuri quickly dismisses the odd feeling in favor of receiving some help.

 

“Yes please... I don’t think I’ll get anywhere on my own.”

 

Victor finally gives the young man a smile. “Alright, listen carefully...”

 

* * *

 

 

They spend the next half hour attempting to build a tent together, and by together, Yuuri quickly learns that his teacher is not one to pursue a hands on learning experience. This just means he is stuck listening to questionable instructions, given by a man who is criticizing his mess from a distance and doing little to actually provide any physical help. Somehow, he ends up with some kind of suspended roof, with one closed end, and a comfortable bed roll tucked underneath, and all he can think is that it is as good as it is going to get.

 

“Perfect!” Victor exclaims, clapping his hands together.

 

Yuuri glares at the older man. “Perfect? Maybe you need to take some lessons on how to teach people how to build tents.”

 

Victor gasps and covers his chest with one hand. “Yuuri! I help you build your very first tent and this is the thanks I get!?”

 

Yuuri just rolls his eyes. Apart from his odd behaviour earlier, it did not take long to realize Victor was a huge dork.

 

“I wouldn’t give yourself too much credit, you were my only option when everyone left to work on setting up for the evening.”

 

Victor gasps once again as his mock offense grows. “Yuuri! How could you!?”

 

The silver haired man’s dramatics make him laugh, and he turns to face him with a shrug. “Sorry not sorry?” He says with an innocent smile before relaxing into something more genuine. “But thank you for all your help, Victor.”

 

The man’s face brightens in an instant. “It was my pleasure, Yuuri.”

 

“Dinner is ready!”

 

Mila’s voice suddenly cuts through the moment, echoing across the open field as she yells and draws the men’s attention back toward the rest of the camp.

 

After a moment, Victor lets his eyes fall back to Yuuri and the man gives him another cheerful smile. “Come on, it’s time to eat.”

 

The older man turns towards the small gathering that is now occurring around the fire and starts walking away, and Yuuri quickly follows. He sees that Phichit and Seung-gil have returned with a decent pile of firewood considering their location, and set up their own tents near Yuuri’s in their spare time. The girls built a fire away from the wagons, and they set up some stacks of rocks to hold a large pot above the burning wood. It is easy to tell that Chris and Georgi managed to catch a couple of rabbits in the field as well, as the animal skins are left drying on a rack next to the flames. When Yuuri and Victor approach, everyone is already pulling out boxes from the carts to use as makeshift stools, and Sara and Mila dish out and pass around the stew they made as people begin to sit down, serving themselves last and then joining the group’s circle around the fire.

Dinner is a quiet affair, as everyone simply enjoys the good food with a little company. However, as soon as Phichit finishes his bowl, he decides that it is time to liven up the non-existent conversation.

 

“So everyone, did you guys know that Yuuri’s magic can manipulate all four elements?”

 

The surprising statement catches everyone off guard. Mila chokes on her stew, Sara does a spit take with her water, Chris snaps his head toward Yuuri, and Victor is heard loudly asking “What!?” The only members not affected by the information are a smiling Phichit alongside a straight faced Seung-gil. Even Yuuri stares shocked at his new friend, silently asking why he had to bring this up now.

 

“You can do what?” Victor quietly asks, as the rest of the group remains deadly silent.

 

Yuuri sends a glare at Phichit, he would have preferred not to make this such a big deal after they addressed the oddity earlier, but lo and behold, here they are.

 

With a sigh, he eventually responds. “Like Phichit said, my magic encompasses all four elements.”

 

“No way…” Chris breathes out.

 

“Why don’t you show us Yuuri!?” His supposed new best friend happily suggests.

 

At this rate, he knows he is going to kill Phichit. Gritting his teeth, he takes a deep breath, trying to think of a way to remove himself from being the center of everyone’s attention.

 

“I don’t know if that is such a good idea…” He ends up mumbling.

 

Sara immediately pipes up. “Awe, why not?”

 

Yeah,” Mila joins in, “it’s not like there’s anyone around, considering we can see for miles out here.”

 

Yuuri can’t think of any solid reason to say no.

 

“I just don’t want to cause a scene...” He offers.

 

His feeble attempt is quickly shot down as Chris starts adding logic to the debate. “Everyone here wants to see Yuuri, and it’s beneficial if we all have an idea of what you might be capable of.”

 

Looking around the group, he knows he’s lost. Letting out another sigh, he finally agrees, and Phichit excitedly claps his approval as everyone gives him their undivided attention. He places his empty bowl on the ground next to his seat and stands up, moving a few paces away from the fire as he starts focusing on the feeling of magic in his core. When he finally reaches a suitable distance, he closes his eyes and takes some deep breaths to center himself, focusing on how this demonstration should be more about showing his control and less about power. Opening his eyes, he looks back at everyone sitting on the edges on their seats around the fire, and they all seem to be patiently waiting with bated breath for whatever is about to happen. With no other reason to prolong the group’s obvious anticipation, he begins.

 

Yuuri starts by placing both of his arms straight down by his side, with his palms facing the group in front of him. He raises his arms up and out in an arc until they become level with his shoulders, and as he does, a sudden breeze sweeps across the open plain. Twisting his right wrist so that his palm now faces the ground, he brings his right arm across the space in front of his body, making a circular motion much like stirring a pot. As his movements become faster, the wind starts to pick up as well, and soon a small tornado forms around the group, with everyone safely seated in the center. They all wear stunned expressions, and they don’t pay any mind to how their clothes are whipping around in the strong winds, as everyone’s eyes are locked on Yuuri’s form. 

 

Satisfied with the speed of the wind, he then rapidly moves his left arm in a sharp diagonal, cutting down towards the center of his body and taking a step out with his right leg. He wastes no time as he then shoves his left hand straight up and brings his right hand straight down, causing the fire in the middle of the group to shoot upwards towards the sky, successfully creating a pillar of flames in the center of his tornado. Yuuri hears Sara shriek at the sudden fiery explosion, but he’s not done yet. It’s not often that he gets the chance to practice his fire magic, and so he wants to make the most of it. He arcs his left hand down and around to the center of his body, simultaneously mimicking the movement with his right as he brings it up and around to his middle. His hands stop a few inches apart with his palms curved in, as if he was cupping a small ball in front of him. The movement causes the spire of fire to separate from the original bonfire, now floating above the group as a separate entity and morphing into the shape of a sphere.

 

The wind is still rushing around them, and the glowing orb of fire floating ten feet off the ground holds everyone’s attention. Yuuri performs a familiar move next, spreading his arms straight out towards his sides and making the ball of fire split into seven smaller glowing spheres. He softly lowers his arms with his palms up, making the balls descend towards each individual in the group, and they are all captivated as the fire floats a foot and a half in front of each member. Clenching his fists, all the fireballs are quickly extinguished, but before anyone can make a move, Yuuri shoots both hands straight up while bringing his legs back together and opening his palms to the sky. His sudden movement makes all the water sitting in their cups shoot up into the sky, and he rapidly moves his arms straight out to his sides and back in, touching his palms together in front of his chest. All of the wind that was raging around them suddenly dies, and Yuuri takes a deep breath in before lifting his hands in front of his mouth in order to exhale into his open palms.

 

The group rapidly looks around. All of them are wearing confused expressions now that that nothing is happening, and they must be wondering if that was the end, when suddenly, a gentle descent of snow starts dusting their campsite. There are a couple gasps and giggles from the group which makes Yuuri smile, and he takes a moment to let everyone enjoy watching the fragments of ice drift gently to the ground. Finally reaching his finale, he takes one last step back with his left foot to open his stance. He bends his knees as he sharply brings his arms to his sides, elbows bent ninety degrees and both fists clenched tightly. The stance makes a loud crack sound through the empty field, and everyone’s attention snaps towards him once more. He takes both hands and rigidly transfers them one at a time in quick succession, moving them from the outside of his body to in between his legs. With his hands still firmly closed, he brings them tight to his chest with a simple but strong bicep curl, and he suddenly rockets upward as the ground beneath him shoots up, creating a column of rock with Yuuri on top.

 

Everyone gasps and stares in awe at the spectacle. Yuuri gives himself a moment before he slowly brings his arms back down, reversing the previous movement. Once he is back to ground level, he relaxes his stance and quietly pants in front of the deathly silent group. It wasn’t a particularly difficult performance, but any magic expenditure is a good workout when you can’t practice that often in the first place. No one moves as he walks back to his spot and sits down, and he quickly grabs some water and takes a long sip while everyone continues blatantly staring at him. Seung-gil seems to be the only one able to move, as he sits slightly nodding his head in what could only be an impressed or approving manner, but their silence is starting to make Yuuri worry.

 

“Um… was that okay?” He timidly asks.

 

Of course, Phichit is the first one to jump on the question. “Okay!? Okay!? Yuuri that was fucking phenomenal!! Like, what the fuck!? Why didn’t you tell us earlier that you could do crazy shit like that!?”

 

“It’s just magic…” Yuuri bashfully replies with a shrug, wishing that he could stop being the focal point already.

 

“Just magic?” Chris jumps into the conversation now. “Yuuri, I wouldn’t even describe what happened the other day as ‘ _just magic’_. This is next level.”

 

“Yeah!” Sara exclaims. “Mila and I couldn’t take our eyes off of you!”

 

 “It really wasn’t much...” He tries again.

 

“Yuuri!” Phichit is using his whiny voice now. “You have to stop underselling your talents! Everyone here thinks what you just did was incredible, just accept it. When I said you were special earlier I wasn’t lying.”

 

He doesn’t know how to respond anymore without getting called out, and so he chooses to just remain quiet and give a shy smile. After that, everyone begins chatting among themselves, continuing their awe-filled analysis of what they just witnessed. Yuuri looks around the group and sees that everyone has a smile on their face as they delve deeper into conversation, but as he surveys each member, he eventually locks eyes with Victor. The man hasn’t said a word since he showed them his magic, and his eyes are burning with an intensity equivalent to the blazing fire they are gathered around. Yuuri isn’t sure what to make of his concentrated stare and muddled expression, and soon he finds himself needing to look away. He tries to focus back on the conversation which has moved on to lighter topics, but every now and again his attention wanders back over to Victor. The man is now looking at the other group members, but his lack of contribution to the discussion and spaced out expression shows that he is still deep in thought. Yuuri isn’t sure what is going through the older man’s mind, but his silence is a little unnerving.

 

It doesn’t take long for night to fully settle over the camp, and soon everyone retreats to their tents once the fire is put out. Yuuri climbs into his bed roll and curls in on himself, trying to concentrate his body heat in one area as he pulls his blanket up to his shoulders. He thinks back to everyone’s high praise of his magic, and for a brief moment, he feels a sense of pride wash over him and bring a smile to his lips. However, he still can’t get Victor’s lack of a reaction out of his head, and eventually he drifts off to sleep with a mix of emotions and thoughts running through his mind.


	14. Morning Sun

After a fitful first sleep away from home and his warm bed, Yuuri wakes up much earlier than he ever wants to, and no matter how much tossing or turning he does, there is no more rest coming his way. Slipping out of his mangled sleeping arrangement, he stumbles outside, taking a moment to stretch his limbs and back as he is finally able to stand to his full height in the open space. The air still holds onto the cold chill of the night and the sun has yet to rise, but daybreak must be approaching fairly quickly since the sky is already starting to lighten up. Wispy clouds are scattered above the plains, a few flocks of small birds are flitting around, and everything seems ready to start the day. Taking a deep breath in, he enjoys the peace and quiet that has settled over the camp overnight, appreciating the tranquility before the inevitable noise comes filtering in.

 

Looking around, Yuuri notices that none of the other group members have emerged from their slumber quite so early, and so he decides that the solitude is a good opportunity to get in a morning stretching session while he still can. Turning away from the tents, he walks a good thirty feet away from the camp site until he finds a nice flat area to do some light exercise, narrowly avoiding tripping over a large root camouflaged by the grass on his way out.

 

Waking up in the morning is never an easy thing as is, and when you’ve been sleeping on the cold hard ground all night, it feels good to get up and start moving around. Yuuri works out some of the knots in his back that formed overnight, and begins to move and extend his muscles, gaining back more of his mobility as time goes on. Thinking about the horrid bumpy ride that will soon begin, he relishes in the freedom he has for the moment, slowly moving from pose to pose and closing his eyes. Everything feels so serene when you’re the only one around for miles, and with the others still sleeping, Yuuri feels like he is back in his practice field, ready to let the magic flow from his body.

 

Thinking about his magic, he starts to recall the events of the previous evening as he continues to lean into his movements, feeling the familiar prickle of energy running towards his fingertips. Last night had been interesting, and he never expected everyone to be so open and supportive of his magic when he was told his entire life that strangers would never be so kind.

 

‘ _I guess the group does have Phichit and Mila, so they might be used to the strange and unusual by now. I wonder if anyone else might be a magician… It seems odd to have so many of us all in one place when we’re not family, but I guess in their own way they made their own family.’_

Feeling warmed up and more limber from his impromptu yoga session, he opens his eyes to take in his surroundings. The sun is getting close to rising, but it’s still not quite there. Glancing towards all of the tents, no one else seems to be getting up any time soon, and so Yuuri remains all alone in the middle of nowhere. With nothing better to do, he decides to practice his magic once again, but this time he’ll gladly do it without making a big scene.

 

Feeling that a meditative session would be the best, Yuuri finds a nice spot to sit down in the grass and faces away from the camp and towards the rising sun. He crosses his legs, places his palms face up on his knees, and closes his eyes. His magic has always been more powerful when he can move his entire body, but he challenges himself every now and again by remaining completely stationary. As he starts to take deep breaths, he focuses on one element at a time, aiming to produce a small representation of each one and maintain it throughout the duration of his exercise.

 

First he starts with air. He has always found it the easiest element to control out of the four, and being outdoors immediately brings forth his inner control of the state. It is easy for anyone to imagine the feeling of a nice breeze rushing past their face, and to Yuuri it is almost second nature, but out in the open he has no reason to conjure up the sensation in his mind when the real thing is already flowing past his fingertips. From the fresh air being sucked back into his lungs, to the way his skin prickles at the sudden chill that tickles his neck, he thinks of all of the different ways he is connected to the air around him. He imagines the calm, gaseous, element condensing to form two small balls swirling in both hands, and without peaking, he knows he has succeeded. The familiar brush of wind against his palms is refreshing, and he silently appreciates the opportunity to exercise his magic twice in such a short amount of time.

 

Levitating the first two balls, he moves on to water next. The liquid element is a bit trickier for him to fully control, but it has to be his favorite category hands down. The smooth and precise movements he normally executes to control the liquid remind him of a dance, with each step and shift in his weight allowing him to be able to push and pull the water that is busy rushing around him like a partner. Sending his concentration deep underground, he attempts to draw up the water from beneath him, concentrating on the liquid’s presence in underground wells, along with the large amounts that have been absorbed by the soil. Only a few moments pass before he feels the water defying gravity and trickling around in his hands, and he patiently waits as the water pools together and eventually takes shape into two more balls. Deep in concentration, he focuses on the new element churning in his hands, and after a deep breath, he exhales, slowly turning the water into ice.

 

A small smile creeps onto his face as he sends the frozen water to float next to his swirling air, and he quickly moves on in order to start concentrating on the earth itself. Earth was difficult to learn when he first started, and it’s the only element that needs a strong, firm, and unwavering devotion, as solid as the earth itself. Gathering his resolve, he focuses as much of his magic as he can on the abundant source of dirt that lies only a few inches underneath his open hands. Without moving his body, manipulating the earth is ungodly difficult, and it feels as though a giant weight is attempting to force him down into the ground himself before he can bring anything up. Sweat begins to form on Yuuri’s brow as he continues his exercise, and slowly but surely, he manages to accumulate enough dirt particles above his hands to compress into a tight, compacted, globe. He can feel the heavy weight of the objects even though he is not physically holding them, and he takes a moment to wipe away his perspiration as he shoves the two forms away to join the others.

 

Now comes what he believes to be the hardest part of his training. Manipulating fire from a source is quite similar to controlling air or water, with the only difference being that the movement is a little less fluid and focuses more on the energy you put into the moves themselves. However, creating it out of thin air is a different story, and it’s even harder when you already have to divert enough focus to the six floating elemental bodies still in front of you.

 

It is no surprise that Yuuri chooses to take his time. Dividing his attention between the different tasks, it takes a while to find the proper distribution of magic power, but steadily, he begins to imagine a crackling fire. Focusing all of those thoughts towards the space above his hands, he thinks about the intense heat of the fire and the raw power it represents. Sparks begin to crackle along the tips of his fingers and he knows he is getting close, but he doesn’t let that disrupt his focus. Feeding more magic into the exercise, he lets the sensation grow until it almost feels like he reaches a breaking point. His magic flares up all at once, and he has to quickly rein in the excess energy now that he has finally reached the ignition point. Feeling heat emanating from a new source, Yuuri takes a deep breath in, marginally relaxing now that he only has to think about maintaining the fire along with the other elements.

 

All of a sudden, a loud thump and a yell behind him shatters his intense concentration. His eyes shoot open in fear as he rapidly extinguishes his magic, but he is able to watch the few miniscule milliseconds that it takes for the fire and air quickly vanish while the rocks and ice fall back towards the ground. Yuuri immediately looks around trying to find the source of the noise, and he ends up hearing a muffled groan coming from a few feet away. He twists around in order to look back towards the camp where the sound came from, but the only thing he can make out in the tall, golden grass, is the dark clothing of someone face down in the dirt ten feet away.

 

That is the only answer he needs before his moment of terror turns into one of amusement. Stifling a laugh in his hand, he finally collects himself enough to ask if they are okay, to which he gets a less than satisfactory, mumbled reply.

 

This time he doesn’t try to cover up his laugh. “Sorry, I can’t hear you when you’re busy eating shit. Are you hurt anywhere at all?”

 

Suddenly, a head of silver hair pops out of the field. “Only my dignity.”

 

Yuuri lets another laugh ring out as the man stands up and brushes the dirt off his clothes. He turns back to see how high the sun has risen, and notices it is just about the break over the horizon. It only takes a few seconds before he is joined by the clumsy man sitting down next to him, and together they both stare out over the open grasslands.

 

“Sorry for disrupting your practice. It looked amazing.”

“Thanks.” He quietly replies, giving the man a small smile. “And that’s alright, I was pretty much finished anyways. What brings you falling this way?”

 

Victor lets out a light chuckle. “Usually I’m the first one awake, so when I saw you over here I figured I would come make sure you were okay. I didn’t notice what you were doing until I was halfway here, and once I did, I was kind of distracted…” The older man admits. “I didn’t notice the huge root sticking up out of the ground until it was too late, and well, you know the rest.”

 

Yuuri laughs once again. “Well thank you for worrying about me, but I’m alright. Sleep didn’t come easily for me last night so I ended up getting up early and practicing a little bit more.”

 

“Rough night?”

 

He shrugs. “You could say that. I guess I’m just not used to being away from home. That and the lack of a bed really puts a damper on things.”

 

Victor smiles knowingly. “Just like riding for hours each day, you’ll get used to it.”

 

Yuuri’s amusement comes out as a loud exhale from his nose, and he continues to stare out at the horizon as the two settle into a companionable silence. The pair watches the sky begin to shift in colour, content to bask in the memorable sight before the silver haired man eventually breaks the quiet atmosphere.

 

“How long have you been practicing your magic for?”

 

“I assume you’re asking about my life and not just this morning, correct?”

 

Victor simply hums in agreement.

 

“Probably since I was ten.” He answers, eyes unmoving from the horizon. “I was always scared something bad might happen if I did, so I held off for a while. When Chris found out the other day I thought I was a goner.”

 

Victor seems to mull over the information before continuing his inquiry. “What did you think was going to happen? I know Chris would never do anything to reveal who you are, but just hypothetically.”

 

“Honestly?” Yuuri asks, turning to face the older man who mimics his position with a nod. “My first thought was that I was about to die. The way Chris looked at me once it happened, he was shocked. And after seeing what he did to the first bandit, I was scared he might try to do the same to me.” The previous lighthearted conversation has rapidly turned into something more serious, and Yuuri tries his best to explain his thoughts on the pivotal moment that changed his life forever. “Once I actually started thinking things through, my second assumption was that Chris might be a bounty hunter, and that me and my family were about to be exposed and sold off to the highest bidder. I had never heard any of the rumors about torture or experiments at that point, Phichit was the one to fill us in during our meeting, but since Chris had already met my family prior to that incident, I could only assume he would go after them once he dealt with me. No one in town knew what your caravan did for a living, and I could only assume that the worst was going to happen.” The young man pauses, taking a shaky breath as he imagines the horrible scenario, but suddenly, a hollow chuckle slips from the man’s lips as he thinks about his next words. “For a moment, I almost made the decision to kill Chris with the rest of them, just to keep my family safe.”

 

Victor doesn’t respond right away, apparently perfectly alright to let the heavy words settle around them along with a mildly unnerving sensation. Yuuri attempts to take his mind off of the conversation and ‘what ifs’ that he would rather not dwell on, if only for a moment, and he chooses instead to focus on the shifting view in front of them. The colours of the sky have begun turning shades of blue, orange, and red, painting the clouds a stunning pink. The beautiful scenery is a stark contrast to the dark conversation, and as the sun finally pops up past the horizon, the two men continue to watch silently with rapt attention as it brings everything to life. The movement of the grass in the wind is more pronounced now that it is contrasted by the dark shadows, and flocks of birds start to sing and welcome the new day, blissfully unaware of the troubles of the world around them.

 

“Yuuri?” The older man gently prods.

 

Of course the peaceful moment is broken by the innocent sound of his name falling from the other man’s lips. He takes a deep breath in as he is forcefully dragged back into the depths of things he would rather avoid, but he finds it impossible to suppress the shudder that runs through him at the thought of everything he’s ignored up until now. Not trusting his voice for the moment, he simply responds with a questioning hum, eyes still staring straight ahead, and Victor takes that as permission to continue.

 

“Are you scared?”

 

Once again, the man sitting so calmly beside him breaks the breathtaking scene and comfortable silence with a weighted question. Yuuri opens his mouth to immediately deny the absurd idea, but with each passing second he struggles to get the words out of his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches as the silver haired man patiently waits for a response, but when Yuuri doesn’t say anything, the older man turns to face him. He wants to say no. With every fiber of his being he wants to be able to say it. But every nerve in his body is pushing him to say yes.

 

He has to remind himself that the people he is with now are accepting of magicians, and that with them he is safe, but his entire life has been spent in hiding. Every time he walked outside in the past twenty three years has been a risk, and no matter how much he would like to believe that he can just be himself around other people, he knows that will never be possible, at least for now.

 

After a minute or so has passed, Yuuri takes another deep breath in, trying to quell the raging storm inside his heart and mind at the conflict he was inevitably faced with since his birth. With his eyes still glued to the sunrise, he finally builds up the courage and momentum in order to give his answer.

 

“Terrified.” He breathes out, unable to contain the rush of emotions that stumble out with the word.

 

Silently, Yuuri curses the morning light that is steadily rising higher in the sky, because he is certain that the older man is simply watching him as the telltale shimmer of tears begins to build up in his eyes, threatening to spill over at any second. All of a sudden, he catches a glimpse of Victor shifting beside him before feeling a warm hand slide into his own. He welcomes the simple gesture easily, threading their fingers together, returning the tight squeeze, and eagerly clinging to the small reassurance that he secretly needs.

 

“Don’t worry…” Victor whispers, quietly enough that his voice can just barely be heard above the white noise of the small breeze and he rustle of the grass. “I promise I’ll always be here protect you.”

 

Yuuri can’t help himself as a single tear trickles down his cheek. The conviction and dedication of Victor’s words forces his mind and body to accept the gravity of the situation, and as much as he feels comforted by the sentiment, it also fills him with a looming sense of dangerous uncertainty.

 

_‘I could die. I could actually die. Or I could be taken away and be used as a guinee pig for god knows what. My family may never find out if something happens to me, and I’ll never get to see them again, or tell them how much I love them…’_

The next thing that comes into his mind is that he needs to stop his train of thought right now before his anxiety makes him panic. Another tear follows the first and he quickly wipes them away, effectively removing himself from Victor’s grasp in the process before placing both his hands back in his lap. Meanwhile, the older man continues to stare at him, concern written across his face as plain as day. Shaking off the dark feelings that were quick to overwhelm him, Yuuri finally looks Victor in the eyes, his own brown eyes still shimmering with unshed tears as the coldest blue stares right back.

 

“Thank you.”

 

He knows he can’t get any more words out without choking on a sob, and so he just hopes that Victor can understand all the words he has left unspoken.

 

_‘Thank you. It means so much to me. I don’t want you to be afraid of me. I don’t want anyone to be afraid of me. I don’t want to be taken away. I want to live. I want my family to be safe. I want to see this through. I trust you with my life. Please don’t leave me.’_

Victor’s eyes never leave his as he tries to will his emotions through their unwavering gaze. After a moment, a determination settles on the older man’s face, and he gives Yuuri a nod as if he understood everything Yuuri was trying to say. With nothing more to discuss, the two of them both turn their attention to look back over the prairie land, the sun fully risen, and a new day ready to begin.


	15. Learning the Ropes

Yuuri is slowly getting the hang of living on the road, and his butt is either accommodating the heavy travel very well, or he has simply lost any and all feeling by now. Their second long day moving across the plains finally leads them to a split in the road, and they follow the path that takes them in a northeasterly direction. The skies are clear and the sun is bright, and he thanks the gods they have such nice weather after the storm two days ago. He easily falls into conversation with Mila as they move along, both of them keeping up the friendly banter since the only source of entertainment that they have on the road is each other. When the time comes for their first break, Yuuri continues talking to Mila and Sara, the latter happily telling Yuuri about her life before joining the group. As it turns out, her background is similar to his own experience in Hasu, and he quickly learns that she used to work with her mother and father running their bakery in a city to the south called Tompan.

 

It is not long before the first break ends, and everyone is back on the road. The scenery hasn’t changed much since they entered the prairies, but Yuuri believes the number of lone trees they pass to be slowly increasing. As the day wears on, the sun continues to move across the sky, illuminating the tall stalks of yellow grass that roll in the wind and making the young man curse himself once again for not bringing a hat. An hour into the ride, Chris and Victor slow their pace to match Mila’s carriage, and the four of them engage in some pleasant conversation, telling stories and jokes to pass the time.

 

During their second stop, Yuuri hangs out with Phichit and Chris. Thankfully the two men must be giving him a break from their antics at least for the day, as they spend the short reprieve indulging in friendly chatter rather than picking apart his nonexistent love life. The other five members end up joining in the conversation halfway through, and they all sit around under a single tree to hide from the shade, laughing and talking about whatever comes to mind. It is during this down time that Yuuri finally begins to feel comfortable around each member of the group, even Seung-gil. The dark haired man may not be much of a talker, but he seems content to sit and listen to the idle chatter that surrounds him, and Yuuri knows that feeling all too well.

 

The final leg of the day seems to last the longest. Everyone is starting to become tired, and conversing seems like too much of a hassle when a fully cooked meal is within their sights. Eventually the bright sun begins to dip down lower in the sky, casting everything its light touches in a warm orange glow as it inches closer to the horizon with every passing second. As soon as they pull over for the night, Yuuri tries his best to contribute to the duties for the evening, and so he attempts to help the girls setup the cooking station. Mila teaches him how to start a fire without using any magic, and Sara shows him the proper way to skin a rabbit. They indulge in some more friendly small talk while preparing dinner, and soon everyone is sitting down to eat around the fire.

 

By the time a few people finish their bowls, Victor stands and begins grabbing dishes to wash before heading over to the back of one of the wagons. Yuuri watches as the older man steps away from the rest of the group in order to complete his task, and the young man takes the opportunity to lean over and quietly address the man sitting next to him.

 

“Are you able to help me set up my tent?” He whispers, eyes constantly trained to the back of Victor’s head just in case.

 

Chris smirks as a rush of air is pushed out of his nose, successfully containing the boisterous laugh that would usually follow.

 

“Sure.” The man chuckles.

 

Breathing out a mild sigh of relief, the two men place their bowls on the ground before they slip away to start the job.

 

* * *

 

 

It turns out that the blonde is a wonderful teacher, and Yuuri is effectively learning the right way to assemble a tent and why certain shelters work better than others for different circumstances. After successfully setting up one, Chris offers for Yuuri to set up his as well for extra practice, and as they are almost finished with the second, they hear a shocked gasp behind them. Both men shoot straight up and whip around at the noise, only to see Victor with the same dramatic look that he was wearing last night when Yuuri criticized his teaching skills, hand over his chest and mouth wide open.

 

“How could you!? With my own best friend?!” The silver haired man exclaims.

 

Chris barks out a laugh, and Yuuri can’t help but smile with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

 

“You snooze you lose, mon chéri. To the best teacher goes the spoils.”

 

“And what exactly would the ‘ _spoils’_ be?” Yuuri finds himself asking, giving Chris a sidelong look.

 

“Why quality time with you of course!”

 

“And you consider yourself a better teacher than me?” Victor interjects. “Tell him how mistaken he is Yuuri.”

 

For a moment the young man doesn’t say a word. He looks over to Chris who is wearing a knowing smirk before turning to Victor with an apologetic smile.

 

“Sorry Victor…” He mumbles, trying his best to hide his amusement at the older man’s look of betrayal.

 

Another loud gasp echoes around the camp, and Chris laughs once more.

 

“He needs a teacher that gives more hands on guidance with the technique, my dear Victor.  After all, he doesn’t have any experience with this type of thing.” Chris smoothly purrs, his classic shit-eating grin spreading across his face.

 

Yuuri quickly turns away to continue setting up the second tent, hoping that the others didn’t catch sight of his rosy cheeks in the dim light. It is hard to ignore the double entendres that come spilling out of the blonde’s mouth almost constantly, but Yuuri has already been exposed to a lifetime’s worth of sexual innuendos in the past two days, and he would be more than happy to have a little break. A moment passes before Chris finally turns back and helps with the assembly, and after readjusting the tarp and securing the ropes, they are done.

 

Straightening and turning to angle himself between both men, Chris smirks and nods. “See, guidance.” He states, sending a wink to the silver haired man still standing a few feet away.

 

Yuuri looks over to see Victor’s response, and the man is wearing a mixed expression, bordering between sad and angry. His arms are crossed over his chest while his shoulders are slightly hunched over, completing the look by wearing a huge pout on his face like a petulant child. Yuuri is about to giggle at the childish display, but it only takes a second before the older man stands up straight and aims a deadly glare at his best friend. The young man looks back and forth between the two older men once more, confused at the unspoken conversation that is obviously occurring, but obviously not willing to intrude on whatever it might be about. As time passes with nothing being said, Yuuri starts to feel awkward.

 

“Um… Thanks for the help Chris… I think I’m gonna turn in for the night… Have a good night you two.” He almost mumbles, trying to escape the growing tension in the air.

 

“Good night Yuuri!” Both men chime, practically in synch with each other. They spare a quick glance and a smile at the raven haired man before turning to face each other once more.

 

After casting another look between the two friends, Yuuri quickly walks back over to his tent, glad to escape whatever it was that manifested between the pair. He crawls inside and curls up into his bedroll, taking a few deep breaths to calm his heart beat before the exhaustion of a long day of travel catches up to him and he falls fast asleep.

 

* * *

 

 

The third day comes after another rough night sleeping on the cold hard ground. Waking up early again, Yuuri engages in an impromptu yoga session once more, but this time, he is joined halfway through by a familiar presence. Victor remains quiet as he takes up a spot nearby, sending a small smile his way before mimicking the movements of the younger man without saying a word. The men move together, silently stretching, bending, and meditating, for a good portion of the morning. After their little chat at dawn yesterday, there seems to be some sort of deeper bond between the two of them when no one else is around, and both of them are content to simply hold onto the sense of comfort that only exists in the other’s company.

 

Once the rest of the gang is up and milling about, they start packing up to leave, and Yuuri receives a surprise lesson from Seung-gil, as he demonstrates the correct way to tack a horse. Considering the man is known for being the silent type, Yuuri is grateful for the information, and he believes that it is the man’s own way of accepting him into the group.

 

The grasslands seem to go on forever, and he is sure they would have been lost by now if there weren’t markers or a dirt road to follow. It has been three days since he left home, and it is easy to admit that things seem to be going much better than he expected. During their first break of the day, Phichit offers to help him begin learning how to ride a horse, and the only thing he thinks is that there’s no time like the present. Nervous but ready for the challenge, Yuuri listens closely, and Phichit explains the fundamentals while giving him a small demonstration.

 

When it becomes his turn to try, his first task is merely getting up and seating himself on the saddle. It takes a couple of tries as the horse moves around, but it doesn’t take long for him to be sitting on top. Next, he has to slowly guide the horse into a walk. Phichit is standing at the head of the horse, lightly holding onto one of the reins near the bit and instructing Yuuri to gently tap his heels against the mare’s sides, and as soon as he completes the small action, the horse immediately begins to move forward. Yuuri can’t help but beam at his small success, and Phichit is just as enthusiastic as he practically shouts his accolades out of pure excitement. After a few minutes of being led around the camp and listening to more instructions, Phichit eventually lets go completely, stepping back in order to watch him do it all on his own.

 

Yuuri takes the mare for a couple of small loops around the open area, carefully pulling on the reins to indicate his desired direction just like his best friend taught him. It doesn’t take long before he is returning to Phichit with a huge smile on his face, and his friend congratulates him on his first successful riding lesson as he holds the horse steady so that he can disembark. With nothing better to do, the other members of the group have gathered nearby to watch, and as soon as Yuuri’s feet are back on the ground, they give him a round of applause. Embarrassed, he ducks his head and turns his body away from all of the attention, but his mile wide smile doesn’t dare leave his face.

 

“Good job Yuuri!” Chris cheers as he stands up from his seat on the ground, smiling and walking towards the young man. “That was pretty good for your first time!”

 

“Thanks Chris. I was pretty nervous but I think it went much better than I expected it to.”

 

All of a sudden Victor is beside him as well, casually throwing an arm around his shoulder as he gives him a little squeeze. “You did so well Yuuri! You’ll be riding like a pro in no time!”

 

Chris glances back and forth between the pair, and it only takes a few seconds before his infamous trouble-making grin is falling into place once again. “Oh Victor, I’m sure everyone already knows that you’d love for Yuuri to be able to ride like a pro.”

 

As soon as the words leave the blonde’s mouth, Yuuri’s face feels like it is going to explode. He tries his best to shrivel up and make himself as small as possible, inching away from the older man while directing his gaze toward the grass. Meanwhile, Victor’s jaw drops, and his eyes are practically bulging out of his head as he stares appalled at his friend. The silver haired man quickly removes the arm that he draped over his shoulders like it has been burned, and the only thing that comes out of his mouth as a response is a pile of incoherent stuttering like an absolute moron. Both of them are left absolutely speechless, and have no clue how to reply to the obviously intentional scandalous statement, but Chris takes one look at the pair and keels over, laughing so hard he starts to cry.

 

“What’s so funny?” Phichit asks, approaching from behind Yuuri and Victor, only bearing witness to Chris’ hysteria.

 

The two men whip around to face Phichit, faces filled with a mix of embarrassment and horror as they yell “Nothing!” at the same time.

 

Confused, Phichit stares past them to try and get something out of Chris, but the man is now laughing even harder, bent over with one hand clutching his stomach and looking like he might end up flat on the ground any second. The tan man brings his gaze back to the scandalized pair in front of him and raises an eyebrow, but Yuuri quickly looks away while Victor attempts to clear his throat.

 

“We should start heading out.” The older man’s voice cracks slightly before he clears it again and continues. “It should only be an hour or two from the next city, and hopefully we can make it there sometime in the early afternoon.”

 

That being said, he turns around and briskly walks away to gather up the others, and at the same time, Yuuri turns and starts heading over to the carriages. Cheeks still on fire, he works on hitching up the wagon, taking deep breaths as he focuses on his work.

 

_‘I can’t believe Chris would say that. I understand if he’s teasing me but bringing Victor into it too? Who doesn’t that man terrorize?’_

“All ready to go Yuuri?”

 

Mila’s chipper voice startles him from his thoughts, almost making him jump at her sudden appearance, but he is very much open to a welcome distraction at the moment and eagerly responds.

 

“Yup! I just finished with the hitch so we’re good to go.”

 

They both clamber onto the bench once more, and within a few minutes, everyone is ready to move out. As they head down the road, Yuuri occasionally hears Chris start to laugh again, and it only reminds him of his utter shame and embarrassment from earlier, but he is always quick to distract himself with more conversation with Mila, which she happily indulges in.

 

As they continue to move across the open plains, the dirt road takes them up a short hill, and once at the top, they are greeted with a stunning scenic vista. The prairie land continues for a dozen miles more, leading straight across the land until it is abruptly cut off from going any further north by an enormous lake. The water is as blue as the ocean, and the bright light sparkling on the small waves makes it look absolutely breathtaking now that the sun is close to the group’s zenith. Contemplating the view, Yuuri figures that the sheer size of the body of water is enough to encompass hundreds of Hasu villages within its circumference, and on the northeastern shore of the lake he spots a large city. It is easy to follow the winding road that leads through the grass straight up to the southern gates of the town, but the northern border is crowded with a dense, coniferous forest that continues on in every direction past the prairies. Overall, the city only takes up a space that is about a quarter of the size of the lake, but it is still much larger than the small town he grew up in, and Yuuri can’t wait to see what it is like.

 

True to Victor’s word, they arrive at the edge of Karnic an hour later, and Yuuri is constantly looking around at all the new things to see. It doesn’t take long before he readily admits that his village is miniscule compared to this town. There are people everywhere, families are rushing around, corralling children and carrying grocery bags, vendors line the streets selling all sorts of food and confectionaries, and fancy trinkets are being shoved in the faces of those just passing by. The buildings here are much taller as well, boasting up to six stories with some even lavished in ornate detail, and Yuuri cranes his neck to take in all of the details while they ride through the streets.

 

As the caravan moves further into the city, the busier things seem to get, but thankfully, they turn off and start heading down a quieter road leading to the northwest corner of town. When they finally find a hostel with some available space for both them and their wagons, the entire group lets out a sigh of relief, and they quickly make arrangements to spend the next few days at the inn. Luckily the hotel borders the edge of town, giving them a nice secluded spot to rest and providing just enough room in the back to store their carriages between the building and the forest. While Victor is inside negotiating with the owner, everyone else begins unpacking the wagons, bringing their necessary gear inside and securing the rest with tarps and ropes. In the end they manage to secure two large rooms on the second floor, each with four single beds and a couple of small dressers. Victor, Chris, Georgi, and Seung-gil, start hauling their equipment into the first room, leaving Yuuri, Phichit, Mila, and Sara to take the other one.

 

“Shouldn’t the girls have their own room?” Yuuri asks, following Phichit as they head upstairs to their new home for the next few days.

 

The man in front is about to respond but Sara pops up beside him, matching his pace. “It’s okay Yuuri. As long as you two wait outside or turn around while we change we’re okay with it.”

 

“And maybe give us a little privacy at some point and we’ll be good!” Mila happily adds, walking a few steps behind the pair.

 

“Mila!” Sara exclaims, turning to give her girlfriend a pointed look, but Mila just laughs.

 

Yuuri lightly blushes but nods with a smile. “Good to know.”

 

The four of them quickly get set up in their room, each claiming a bed and organizing their belongings, but it doesn’t take long for Yuuri to finish, and as he watches the others, he is not sure what exactly comes next. Phichit seems to sense Yuuri’s unease, and the man quickly comes over to join him on his own bed while they wait.

 

“You’re probably wondering what we do now right?”

 

Yuuri simply nods.

 

“Well, once those two lovesick morons stop canoodling,” Phichit begins, casting a dramatic look over his shoulder, “the group will have a meeting to discuss what the plan is while we’re here.”

 

“That sounds simple enough…”

 

“Sure is!” His best friend replies before turning to address the two ladies in the room. “So are you two done over there or should we just leave so you guys can just bang already?”

 

“Phichit!” Sara squeals.

 

“Please leave!” Mila quickly adds.

 

“Mila!”

 

Yuuri and Phichit laugh at their new roommates before Sara stomps across the room towards the door. Mila giggles before following her partner out into the hall and the two men take that as their cue and are hot on their heels. The four of them quickly head over to the captain’s room to make a game plan, and everyone grabs a seat on each of the four beds. Phichit plops down next to Seung-gil, Chris is busy talking with Georgi on another, and of course Mila and Sara are inseparable. This leaves Yuuri with one option, and he quietly walks over to sit next to Victor, the man giving him a warm smile as he lowers himself onto the bed.

 

“Alright everyone, welcome to the city of Karnic!” Victor cheerily says, starting the meeting. “As you can see, it’s a busy town with a lot going on, and if we’re lucky, we might be able to scrounge up some information over the next few days, but we’ll play it by ear and change our plans accordingly. As expected, for the magicians among us, no using magic. Period. Since this is Yuuri’s first time out and about, I want everyone to keep an eye on him just in case, and as always, go out and gather your basic reports and meet back here by dinner.”

 

Everyone around the room nods and Yuuri just looks around confused.

 

“Reports?” He timidly asks.

 

Victor turns his attention towards the young man and gives him a reassuring smile. “Everyone here has a certain job to do when we’re in a new town.” He explains. “Mila and Sara are responsible for getting a feel for the town’s views on magicians, most places are fairly tight lipped about the topic, but there’s usually at least a handful of people ready to share their opinion. Phichit and Seung-gil go out to busy streets and bars, keeping an ear out for any passing gossip and attempting to approach potential informants. Chris and Georgi are our security detail, they walk around and learn the ins and outs of each street just in case we need to move quickly, and they’ll also give us an idea of how many soldiers are present in the area or if there is anything we need to be concerned about. If you haven’t already noticed, each pair is formed of a mix just to be on the safe side, with one magician coupled with one non-magician.”

 

Yuuri’s brow furrows as he turns to assess the group. “What about Chris and Georgi?”

 

The next thing he knows, Georgi has disappeared off of the bed he was just sitting on with Chris, and simultaneously reappears standing in front of Yuuri. The young man flinches and jumps back across the bed with a yell.

 

“Surprise?” Georgi says, giving him an apologetic smile.

 

Taking a moment to calm his racing heart, Yuuri closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Opening them, he looks around the room and sees everyone staring at him, smirking at his reaction.

 

The young man huffs and glares around the room. “Is there any other magicians I should know about?”

 

They all laugh before Phichit pipes up. “Nope! It’s just you, me, Georgi, and Mila!”

 

Casting one last look around the room, he returns his attention to Victor. “Okay, so if everyone is paired up and has a job, what do I do?”

 

“You’ll be with me!” Victor cheerfully supplies.

 

“And what do we do?”

 

The man’s smile only grows larger at the question. “We get to go sightseeing!”


	16. Hit the Town

“So, what’s our job again?”

 

Yuuri and Victor are strolling around the busy streets of Karnic, observing the hustle and bustle of busy people rushing around them. It is already late afternoon and the sun is starting its descent, slowly but surely adding a slight chill to the air, and the group has separated into their pairings in order to carry out their missions, grabbing coats and cloaks to ward off the cold. Victor has a smile plastered on his face and a skip in his step, as he happily walks down the road, comfy in his large, brown, leather jacket, looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world. Yuuri on the other hand, is trying to keep up his pace to stay next to the ridiculous man, his long, black, cloak fluttering around him as he moves, carefully ducking and dodging through the throngs of people.

 

Responding to his question, Victor spins on the spot and stops to face the young man. “We’re sightseeing!”

 

Yuuri sighs. “I get it, we’re walking around town and looking around, but isn’t there something else we need to do? This is just seems so mundane compared to everyone else’s jobs…” He finally takes the last few steps to catch up to the older man, who is patiently waiting off to the side of the busy street with an excited smile.

 

“Don’t think of it like that!” The older man whines. “Picture it more as a combination of all the jobs rolled into one. This way we can cover more ground and increase our chances of learning something useful.”

Yuuri hates to admit it but Victor does have a point. Being the new member of the group he doesn’t have enough experience to say otherwise, and so he chooses to simply go with the flow for the time being.

 

_‘The group has been doing this for four years…’_ Yuuri tries to reassure himself. _‘Obviously they have to have a method to their madness, so I might as well just go along with it until I learn more about how things work.’_

“Alright then Captain, where to first?” He asks, curious if his companion has any sort of plan.

 

The use of the man’s unofficial title seems to spark something dark in Victor’s deep blue eyes, but the fiery glimmer is blinked away quickly as he swiftly moves to link his arm through Yuuri’s. Gently, the older man starts guiding them back into the flow of pedestrians, pulling the young man closer with every step.

 

“Well, I was thinking we could make our way over to the town square, and we could see if they have a notice board announcing anything special going on over the next few days.”

 

Yuuri tilts his head up to give Victor a small smile. “Sounds good, lead the way!”

 

Victor beams at him for a brief moment before he begins to expertly maneuver them through the crowds, as if he already knows the layout of the city like the back of his hand. They remain silent as they walk arm in arm, keeping their ears open for any tidbits of information, but it is hard to hear anything worthwhile as a jumbled murmur resonates from the people. Loud shouts from vendors and business advertisers ring clear above all of the white noise, but from what Yuuri can tell, no one is saying anything at all about magic. All of the small kiosks are selling a wide array of goods, including typical housewares, garden vegetables, jewelry, carpentry tools, and fresh fish, and the young man can’t spot anything that seems out of the ordinary.

 

An hour later, they finally arrive at the open court in the center of town, and slowly, as if reluctant to do so, Victor lets go of Yuuri’s arm. Similar to before, there are still people running around in every direction and market stalls lining the edges of the surrounding buildings, but the open plaza allows them a little more room to breathe.

 

Looking around, Yuuri takes in his surroundings, making mental notes of things that may be important. First, he notices that the area is less of a town square and more of a town circle. He sees that there is one large notice board for every direction, North, East, South, and West, and as they take an initial walk to circumnavigate the space, he notices that each board is also identical, with the same information posted on each one. His eyes roam over the crowd as he continues his surveillance, and in the very center of the hub, he spots a large, circular, wooden platform. The stage is elevated three feet off the ground, and it is most likely used for announcements or festival performances, but at the moment, it remains empty.

 

Groups of people and individuals are crammed into every nook and cranny in the large space, browsing the shops, chatting, or rushing from one spot to another as if their lives depend on it. Among the large conglomeration of people, it is hard to ignore the sketchier individuals that are poking around in the narrow alleyways branching off in every direction from the plaza. With their torn clothes and hoods covering their faces, the brief glances that they send his way from the shadows makes a shiver run down Yuuri’s spine. Crime is practically nonexistent in Hasu, and the sight of suspicious figures lurking in the distance only reminds him of the time when he and Chris were attacked, and needless to say, it is not a pleasant memory.

 

Yuuri finally stops in front of one of the message boards and takes his time scrutinizing the announcements posted for all to see. As his eyes rove over the writing on each paper, he quickly spots a familiar wanted poster, listing the bounty for any magicians that are reported to the kingdom. He can’t help himself as he clenches his hands into fists by his sides, and as he glares at the poster with an immense amount of hatred, he has to stop himself from just lighting the damn thing on fire.

 

As if sensing the fury radiating off of him in waves, Victor places a gentle hand on the young man’s shoulder and squeezes, grounding him in the present and providing a small source of comfort through the touch. Focusing on the feeling of the weight and pressure of the older man’s hand, Yuuri takes a deep breath before he drops his gaze to the ground, ashamed that he is getting so wound up over a poster.

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

“It’s okay.” Victor whispers. “I don’t blame you.”

 

He nods and looks back at the other ads pinned on display. Nothing else catches his eye as suspicious or useful in any way, and he tells Victor as much once he’s sure he hasn’t missed anything.

 

“I agree.” The older man states with a sigh, disappointment evident in his tone. “There doesn’t seem to be a lot going on around here at the moment, and the people aren’t talking either... We should probably start making our way back to the hostel, maybe the others had better luck than we did.”

 

“Yeah… At least we’re staying in an inn this time though. That way I don’t have to listen to your shitty excuse for a tent lesson again.”

 

Yuuri’s attempt at lightening the mood works, and he watches as Victor’s face drops into a dramatic pout.

 

“Yuuri!” The older man pathetically cries his name as he turns to walk away.

 

The raven haired man laughs as he begins to head back, with Victor jogging to catch up to him as he continues to call out the young man’s name with enough emotion to convey his broken heart. The small moment is happy, light, and quick enough to be easily forgotten, but at the same time, it is enough to distract the two men from paying any attention to a shadowy figure that slips farther back into an alley that they quickly pass by.

 

The pair takes their time walking back, slowly making their way to the far corner of town where they are staying while still keeping an eye out for anything unusual. It is starting to get late, and the light of day quickly diminishes as the sun sets over the city. The loud crowds from earlier dissipate, shops begin to close up for the night, and soon, there are only a few stragglers wandering the streets alongside the two men. As they keep up a steady pace, Yuuri is continuously scanning the area for anything that might help them or provide any useful information, and a few times he notices people standing just far enough back in the small alleys to avoid their faces being seen, but this is his first time in a big city, and so he just assumes that there are more bums hanging around than he is used to. Another shadowy figure catches his eye as they pass yet another alley, but this one seems significantly closer, and for some odd reason, slightly more menacing than the others, and he instinctively moves closer to Victor as they continue walking.

 

“Yuuri?”

 

The sudden sound beside him makes him jump, and he quickly snaps his head up to look at the taller man.

 

Victor is looking down into his shimmering brown eyes, concern etched across his face. “Are you alright?”

 

Casting another rapid glance around them as they continue walking, he gives a shaky nod. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

 

The older man doesn’t look convinced. “Are you sure? You seem a little freaked out…”

 

“It’s nothing… I think I’m just not used to being in such a big city…”

 

“That’s understandable. Being in a new place for the first time in your life is always a little nerve racking.”

 

Victor attempts to give him a reassuring smile, but the best thing the young man can respond with is a wavering attempt in return. Yuuri looks back in front of them, focusing on absorbing every detail and cataloging each movement he can see around them just in case something happens. The uneasy feeling in his gut coils even tighter as the dark of night truly begins to settle in, and he unconsciously starts taking deep breaths and clenching his fists in order to release some of the tension.

 

All of a sudden, Yuuri feels the gentle tap of Victor’s hand against his, light enough to be brushed off as a coincidence but persistent enough to be considered an offering, and it only takes him a moment to relax and welcome the warm, comforting touch. Looking down, he stares at where the two of them now connect, threading his fingers completely through Victor’s and giving a soft squeeze, thankful for the contact once again. His gaze rises to meet azure eyes once more, and the older man tightens his grip in return, an easy smile falling into place as neither says a word.

 

They continue to walk down the street hand in hand, neither of them willing to let go of the soothing interaction. A few townsfolk start wandering from streetlamp to streetlamp, igniting the small fire within each one, and the improved lighting makes Yuuri feel vaguely more comfortable. They finally make it back to the hostel just as their stomachs start to rumble, and they reluctantly let go of each other as they walk through the front door.

 

The inn is packed full of people as the pair walks into a cacophony of music, laughter, and boisterous chatter. There are a dozen or so bodies filling the foyer, and an even louder ruckus coming from the dining room in the back. They quickly maneuver through the crowded lobby and step into the banquet hall, taking in three large, long tables that fill the entire room, and a wide variety of people are sitting along the wooden benches that line each one. Everyone seems happy and ready to have a good time, as they raise their glasses for a drink and shovel food into their gaping mouths.

 

The scent of a freshly prepared dinner assaults their nostrils as they take in their surroundings, and they quickly glance around until they find a familiar crowd at the far end of the middle table. Negotiating the busy restaurant, they make their way over to their group, and Yuuri counts the number of familiar faces and is glad to see that everyone is accounted for. Chris, Phichit, Georgi, and Seung-gil, are seated on one side of the table facing away from the door, while Mila and Sara are busy giggling to themselves on the other side. He is also thankful to see that their friends have saved them enough room for two at the end of the bench, and as they step up to the end of the table, everyone looks up to see who it is resulting in an enthusiastic round of cheers erupting from the party.

 

“You guys made it! We were starting to worry that you might have disappeared or something.” Phichit yells over the noise of the room.

 

“Obviously, you guys look absolutely distraught.” Yuuri replies, rolling his eyes.

 

“Well, we wouldn’t blame you two if you wanted some time alone.” Chris purrs.

 

Mila and Sara scooch over to make a little more room for the two men, and Yuuri and Victor slide in on the end of the bench, blatantly ignoring Chris’ comment.

 

“How’s the food?” Victor asks. “I’m starving.”

 

“Actually, you’re just in time. We were just about to order.” Georgi replies.

 

The rest of dinner flies by in a flurry of good food and warm conversation, but as soon as everyone finishes their meal, they pay the tab and make their way upstairs to regroup. Once they are all back inside the captain’s room, everyone returns to the same seats they occupied earlier that afternoon, with the door locked and windows shut in order to give them the utmost privacy that they can manage.

 

“Alright everyone,” Victor begins, “let’s recap. Chris and Georgi, what did you find out?”

 

Chris clears his throat. “The city follows a very basic concentric zone model with a standard grid plan. The farther out from the center of the city you move, the less populated it seems to be, regardless of the time of day.”

 

“As for the military presence,” Georgi continues, “there is a small group of two dozen men rotating shifts to watch over the entire city. To keep the guard running twenty-four seven, they work in pairs, each making rounds in different districts, and they have eighteen of the men working during the day, and the other six on the night shift.”

 

“Speaking of soldiers,” Chris speaks up again, “they seem to be on the lookout for someone. From what I could tell, it’s just a simple thief terrorizing the city, but they’ve made some powerful enemies and people have started to take an interest in finding them. The only catch is that they don’t know what the thief looks like because they are always wearing a long, dark cloak to keep themselves anonymous. But the funny part is, is that they say his name is Yuri.”

 

Phichit huffs a laugh. “Why Yuuri, I didn’t know you took up robbery in your spare time.”

 

Yuuri just rolls his eyes and doesn’t bother with a reply.

 

“Alright then.” Victor nods. “Mila, Sara, how did you two fare?”

 

Mila shifts in her spot. “Well, it’s not the best…” She begins, pleadingly looking over to the woman sitting beside her.

 

Sara notices Mila’s discomfort and immediately takes over. “Every single lead we have points to the city being strongly against magicians. If you haven’t already noticed, there is a good amount of wanted posters displayed in busy locations, such as in bars or around the farmers market. And on top of that, whenever we were able to broach the topic and put out feelers with some of the locals, they all responded with some kind of retort about wishing they could get their hands on one to earn a nice chunk of money…”

 

The grim news settles over the group, and they all look around the room, quietly assessing the reactions of the other members. Chris and Georgi both have their lips pressed in a firm line and their arms crossed over their chests. Sara is gently rubbing circles on Mila’s back, comforting her as she stares down at the floor with her hands clasped together. Phichit is trying to put on a reassuring smile, but it is easily transparent, showing all of the worry he has bottled up underneath. As always, Seung-gil is straight faced, but his eyes are set, staring across the room with a silent determination. Yuuri has his hands balled into fists and sitting on his lap, and he doesn’t say a word as he feels a hand gently rest against the small of his back. He looks up into Victor’s big blue eyes, and the man tries his best to send comfort through the small gesture.

 

After a few moments of silence, Victor continues. “What about Phichit and Seung-gil?”

 

Phichit glances over to Seung-gil before turning his attention back to the group. “On the bright side, we didn’t hear of any magicians being reported recently, but on the downside, we couldn’t find a single trace of any magicians around town at all. From gossip to weird stories, the best we could come up with is the mention of some healer that lives just outside of town in the forest to the north. But when we followed up, we found that he just uses some herbs for medicine. Nothing magical.”

 

“Okay. Does anyone else have any questions or additional information?” Victor prods.

 

A quick glance around the room reveals everyone shaking their heads.

 

“Excellent. We’ll take the rest of the night to rest, and in the morning we’ll continue our search. Since it doesn’t look too promising, we’ll probably head out in another day or two just in case.”

 

Everyone nods and begins to stand, calling it a night and heading back to their own beds. Yuuri shifts his weight back onto his feet as he hops off the bed, and he turns to Victor with a small smile.

 

“Goodnight Victor.”

 

“Goodnight Yuuri.” The man fondly smiles back.

 

Their eyes stay locked for a brief moment before Yuuri finally turns to leave, but for some reason, the raven haired man can’t wipe the stupid grin off of his face during the quick walk back to his room. However, as soon as he walks inside, he sees Phichit already busy tearing his bed and bags apart, and his smile quickly fades into a mild frown. At the other end of the room, the girls are sitting with their legs crossed on one of their beds, facing each other and chatting, paying no mind to the frantic demeanor of their friend.

 

“What’s wrong Phichit?” Yuuri asks, as he walks to the foot of the man’s bed.

 

The tan man’s dark mop of hair pops up from rifling through his backpack at the sound his name.

 

“I can’t find my keychain!”

 

Done with emptying his bag, the man shoves it away and then dives underneath the bed before anything else can be said.

 

Yuuri tilts his head. “You mean the metal one that you changed from an elephant into a hamster back in Hasu?”

 

A muffled “Yeah!” echoes from beneath the furniture.

 

“Do you think it might have fallen off when we were unloading all of our stuff from the wagons earlier?”  


Out of breath, Phichit comes back out and plops his face and arms onto the bed. “I don’t know… Maybe?”  


“Well keep looking in here and I’ll quickly go take a look around outside.”

 

“Thanks Yuuri!”

 

“No problem.” He easily replies, happy that he can finally be helpful.

 

Before he steps back out of the room, Phichit is already frantically tearing off the bed sheets to continue his search.

 

_‘I wonder what’s so special about it…’_ Yuuri thinks, as he makes his way downstairs.

 

It is already pitch black outside, so he grabs a torch from its holster in front of the inn, and makes his way around back to the wagons. The three transports look untouched from where they left them earlier, lined up adjacent to each other and just small enough to fit in between the hostel and the edge of the woods. Carefully, he makes his way around each carriage in the dark, bending over and relying on the light of the fire, hoping to catch the glimmer of something metal lying on the ground before peeking into the back of each cart.

 

By the time he circles the last wagon, he hasn’t found anything, and so he stands up ready to go back and deliver the bad news. He shuffles along the side of the last carriage, being cautious not to snag his cloak on the wagon or the trees, when suddenly, he feels a strong, firm hand wrap around his mouth, muffling his yell with a steady grasp. Simultaneously, he feels two pairs of hands grab him by his arms and yank him back into the tree line. The harsh movement causes him to drop his torch, but another assailant must immediately stomp it out because the light quickly disappears and plunges him and his attackers into complete darkness. He thrashes and tries to wrestle his arms free in a state of panic, but they are securely twisted behind his back as he is forced to his knees. A heavy blow against the back of his head makes his vision blur, and the last thing Yuuri is aware of are the strong hands releasing him as he collapses to the ground.


	17. Search Party

“And she was so confused about why we couldn’t be together anymore! I don’t blame her, but I couldn’t exactly come right out and say ‘I’m a magician’ after she talked about bounty hunting the day before. I still feel bad I couldn’t give her proper closure, but what else was I supposed to do?”

 

Georgi looks around the room, reaching out to the others for some kind of reassurance that his ranting about his previous girlfriend Anya is not going unheard, but every member has already heard the story a million times. Even though they are all friends, Victor, Chris, and Seung-gil, wait rather impatiently for Georgi to finish his longwinded speech, and silently, Victor prays that they can move on to a new topic already. Finding greater interest in the examination of his cuticles, the silver haired man lets his mind wander as his friend continues to bore his audience with his never ending tale of sorrow.

 

_‘My hands are so dry…’_ He thinks, as his eyes rove over the cracks, callouses, and dead skin, that taint his otherwise unblemished exterior. _‘At least that can be easily fixed with some lotion, unlike this desiccated conversation. Would it be rude to just get up and leave? Chris would never forgive me if I just abandon him… It’s too bad Yuuri isn’t here… At least then this situation might actually be bearable.’_

 

“Maybe you should take some time for yourself?” Chris pipes up, much to Victor’s chagrin. “Stop thinking about the past and feeling guilty and just move on and focus on you.”

 

He knows that his friend is just trying to be nice and humor their fellow group member while attempting to dissolve the conversation, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Georgi’s love life is a constant loop of complaining and needing feedback. Sighing, Victor flips his fringe out of his eyes and falls backwards onto his bed, mildly annoyed that they have to go through all of this again. Unwilling to spend the rest of his night talking about Georgi’s problems, the older man interrupts as he begins to longingly examine the ceiling, wishing that he could be in the presence of much more preferable company.

 

“Chris is right, Georgi, however, it sounds like you’re not giving yourself any closure by thinking about it all the time either. She has probably already moved on considering this was two years ago…” He blatantly points out, disinterest saturating his voice. “You should really just get over it.”

 

“But you guys don’t understand!”

 

Victor groans and shoves his hands over his eyes.

 

“We would have been perfect for each other if she–”

 

The dark haired man is cut off when a series of loud knocks comes pounding at the door. All of the men in the room become dead silent as they look at one another, trying to assess who might be interested in visiting them at such a late hour. Another round of rapid knocking occurs before they hear a muffled voice speak up on the other side.

 

“Guys, I know you’re in there. I can hear Georgi crying over his ex-girlfriend from down the hall.”

 

A smirk spreads across each of their faces except Georgi's, but they all release the breaths they were holding and relax. Victor rapidly welcomes the distraction from his own personal hell as he quickly stands and moves to the door, and with a snap of the lock, he opens it to see a concerned Phichit standing on the other side, fiddling with his small silver hamster and attempting to look past the older man and into the room.

 

“Hey, is Yuuri here with you guys?”

 

Victor furrows his brow. “Yuuri? Why would he be here? He’s staying in your room.”

 

Phichit almost looks guilty as the next words come out of his mouth. “Well, when we got back to the room earlier I noticed that I lost my figurine,” he begins, slightly raising the hamster as if it will corroborate his story, “and I started to look for it in my bag and around my bed. Once Yuuri walked in the room he offered to help me find it, and then he went outside to check by the wagons… But that was twenty minutes ago… and now I can’t find him anywhere…”

 

It takes a second for the silver haired man to fully comprehend the situation, and Victor’s heart stops when he realizes what Phichit might be insinuating. Without thinking, he automatically holds his breath once again, as if it will save him from the tidal wave of panic beginning to crash into him as he grips the open door to hold himself steady. The short conversation easily catches the attention of the three other men as well, and they all stand to join Victor at the door while he remains as still as a statue.

 

 “Are you sure?” He manages to whisper, hand clenching tighter around the solid wood with every second.

 

“Positive…” Phichit responds, slightly nodding as he directs his gaze towards the wooden floorboards. “He never came back to the room, and after ten minutes I went to go look for him. I checked the foyer, around the whole building outside, the dining hall, all of the hallways indoors, our room once more, and now here.”

 

Victor swallows. A huge lump in his throat is restricting his breathing even further and preventing him from saying anything, but it only takes a second before a strong, reassuring, hand comes to rest on his shoulder from behind. He turns his head to see Chris standing directly behind him, the man wearing a sympathetic look mixed with unease. Unsure of what to say, he intently looks at his best friend hoping that the blonde will know what to do, and thankfully, his second in command pulls through.

 

“We need to start looking for him.” Chris calmly states. “Phichit, go back to your room and tell the girls Yuuri is missing, they can meet us out back, but you and Georgi will stay here in case he returns. Victor, Seung-gil, and I, will start looking outside to see if we can find any evidence of where he went, and we’ll send someone back if we find anything.”

 

Everyone nods and Phichit quickly turns to go back down the hall in order to inform the girls of the situation. Chris and Seung-gil move back into their room to grab their coats and boots, but Victor remains frozen, staring out the door at the now empty hallway.

 

“Victor?”

 

He knows that Chris is calling out to him, but he can’t seem to respond. Right now, his only thought is about shimmering brown eyes, a bright smile, messy hair, and the sound of someone else calling his name. The image of a blazing sunrise flashes through his mind, and the millisecond that it takes to see the vision is more than enough to bring up a whole new layer of emotions churning in his stomach. Once again, he thinks that he hears his name in the back of his mind, but there is something different about the voice. It is deep, gravelly, and it isn’t who he wants it to be. It isn’t a charming, small town boy, who takes his breath away with every giggle and steals his heart with every look. Suddenly, a gentle hand finds its way back onto the older man’s shoulder, slowly coercing him to turn around and meet the gaze of piercing green eyes.

 

“I told him that I would protect him…” He mumbles, his normally optimistic and composed demeanor crumbling in front of his best friend.

 

“It’s okay.” Chris quickly responds, firm and confident in his advice. “I’m sure that we’ll find him. But he needs you right now, and if you want to continue to protect him then we have to go.”

 

The blonde has always possessed the ability to remain calm in stressful situations, a personality trait that Victor is deeply envious of. He gives a shaky nod and manages to walk quickly over to his bed in order to pull on his shoes and don his leather jacket. At the last moment, he remembers his sword, and quickly unpacks the weapon from its case at the foot of his bed, securing it in its sheath on the belt around his waist. He has rarely ever needed it for an actual fight, and as soon as they got into town he stowed it away just in case, fearing that he may get reported if he makes some of the locals uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Georgi takes a seat, slipping into his duty as a watchman seamlessly, and Seung-gil, Chris, and Victor, all make their way outside, grabbing some torches as they go to give them some light in the dark of night.

 

“One of the torches is missing.” Seung-gil points out.

 

“At least we know he came outside like Phichit said… I don’t see why anyone else would need to borrow a torch when the streets are all lit up with lamps.” Chris muses.

 

They briefly take a look around the front of the hostel, and with no indication of any oddities, they move on, heading straight to the carriages. They take a quick look around for anything obvious, but when everything seems to be normal, they split up to survey the immediate area more closely. Seung-gil looks around near the house, Chris walks the perimeter of the property, and Victor navigates himself around the wagons. A few minutes pass, but it isn’t long before Chris gives a shout.

 

“Over here!”

 

The other two men quickly rush over to see what their companion has found, and they end up in a small, open clearing just a few feet inside the forest. Chris is kneeling on the ground, his own torch illuminating the space as he picks up a burnt out torch off of the ground.

 

“This would explain the missing torch out front.” Chris bluntly states.

 

“But then where is Yuuri?” Victor quickly asks, fearing the worst.

 

“That would be Seung-gil’s area of expertise.”

 

The two men rapidly turn their attention to look towards the one among them who rarely speaks. Seung-gil is a few feet further into the woods, bent over and holding his torch close to the ground as he stares intently at the minute details offered by the dirt beneath their feet. He walks around the area, judging the patterns of the earth and looking around the trees, shrubs, and bushes, before he stands up and addresses them both.

 

“Someone took him.” He calmly states.

 

“Can you tell how many?” Chris inquires.

 

“I can’t be certain. But I can say there were at least five people here, not including Yuuri.”

 

“Five?!” Victor repeats in utter shock. “That seems a little excessive to take on one man.”

 

“I guess that depends what kind of man they were expecting to take…” Chris adds.

 

The possibility is not unlikely, and they all knew the risks going into this line of work, but it doesn’t make the thought any less appalling. The three men let a short period of heavy silence pass, unable to control their thoughts about all the ‘ _what ifs’_ and ‘ _what comes next’_ , and Victor feels his stomach turn at the mere suggestion that he has to consider the worst case scenario.

 

“How would anyone know though?” Victor whispers. “It’s not like we’re advertising his status…”

 

“Did you say anything when you two were out earlier? Anything that could be misinterpreted?”

 

Victor thinks back to his day with Yuuri, but soon begins shaking his head. “N-no… Nothing…”

 

“Then we plan for the worst and hope for the best. Seung-gil, are you able to track where they went?”

 

The man nods. “It is hard to see in the dark, but the trail is still fresh. We can either slowly follow it tonight or pick it up in the morning.”

 

“Tonight.” Victor immediately interjects. “We are not waiting around for nature or humans to erase the only chance we have of finding him.”

 

A rustle in the bushes makes them all whip around to face towards the inn. Sara and Mila step into the small area and look around at the group.

 

“Well?” Mila asks.

 

“He’s gone.” Victor grimly states, barely holding back the raging fear and anger thundering through his body, but as soon as the words leave his mouth, the women’s hopeful expressions fall. Unwilling to succumb to the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, Victor steels his resolve, straightens his posture, and slips back into his persona as a captain. “But we are going to go after him, right now.”

 

Sara almost looks surprised. “In the dead of night?”

 

“Yes.” He responds, leaving no room for an argument. “And we don’t have any more time to lose.”

 

Victor’s determination holds an air of finality, and everyone willingly agrees. Seung-gil immediately turns back towards his work, scrutinizing the forest floor, and as he begins to take slow steps further into the woods, the others fall into a line behind him. No one dares to make a sound as they head into the dark territory of the forest, fearing that they may throw off the tracker's concentration or alert anyone still remaining in the vicinity of their presence, but of course Victor is the first person behind Seung-gil, with an unwavering conviction that he will find Yuuri and keep his promise, no matter what.


	18. Interrogation

Pain. Pounding, aching, nauseating, pain. That is all Yuuri can feel as he starts to regain consciousness. The throbbing feeling on the back of his head is making him dizzy as well as giving him one hell of a headache, not to mention that he feels like he might throw up any second. His head lobs over to his right shoulder, unresisting to the pull of gravity, and he begins to assess his body, trying to figure out what is wrong. As he attempts to move his arms out from behind him, he feels a rough material scratch against his wrists, and he is unable to bring them to his front no matter how hard he tries. Similarly, he notices the same restriction of movement and coarse texture as he tests his legs and twists his torso. Dazed and confused, he tries to open his eyes, blinking rapidly and squinting as he attempts to adjust to the violent assault of bright light rushing into his pupils.

 

_‘…What happened….? …Where am I…?’_

 

His thoughts are muddled, disjointed, and his mind takes its sweet time creeping back into the present as he tries to think back to the last thing he can remember.

 

_‘I was with Victor…. We spent the day together… We were walking down the street… Then we were at the hostel… and Phichit lost his elephant trinket… I was helping him look for it…’_

As if a concrete wall was placed in his mind, all of his memories come to a stop. No matter how many times he runs through the days events, he can’t seem to recall what happened after he left the room alone.

 

Finally, his eyes begin to acclimatize to the source of light, and he groggily lifts his head to take a good look around at his surroundings, silently hoping that it will give him a clue as to what is going on. All he sees however, are four plain stone walls. The one on his left is equipped with a metal hitch of some sort, and as he attempts to twist his neck around to see behind him, he manages to spot a solid wooden door with a small metal grate embedded along the top to see through. On the wall to his right, there is a narrow window close to the ceiling, with a set of bars being the only thing separating him from the outside world. The view out the window is unimpeded, leaving Yuuri with the calming sight of blue skies while a steady stream of sunlight shines straight onto his face. Judging by the angle of sun through the opening, it must be around midday, but he at least knows that it was night time when he returned to the hotel with Victor.

 

_‘How long was I out?’_

Finished with his examination of the empty room, Yuuri then looks down and sees that his legs and chest are restrained with a scraggly, thick, rope and secured to the simple wooden chair that he is currently sitting on. He can only guess that his hands are tied similarly behind his back, and he once again tests the knots by wiggling around, but feels no give. As he pulls on the bindings with more strength every time, the familiar wave of crushing anxiety starts to build up within him as his mind wraps around the situation.

 

_‘Why am I here? Do the others know I’m missing? Did anyone else get taken? What do they want with me? Oh god, do they know I’m a magician!? But how!?’_

A full on panic attack is barreling straight towards him, and his breathing becomes labored as he continues to tug at the ropes, paying no mind to the painful burning sensation gnawing at his skin as desperation and adrenaline fuel his fear. Soon, he starts thrashing around in the chair, trying to wrestle his way free or do anything more significant than just sitting helplessly in a cage.

 

_‘I have to get out of here! There’s no water for me to use, and I know I won’t be able to move any boulders when I can’t use my arms… Air isn’t gonna help me… But fire!’_

 

A spark of hope ignites in the man’s heart at the thought of an escape, but then the gloomy dawn of rational thinking kicks in before he can get anywhere. The biggest thing he doesn’t know is who kidnapped him and why. They probably don’t know he’s a magician, they haven’t mentioned it since his demonstration, and so it wouldn’t make sense for anyone in Karnic to know… However, if they do find out, there’s a good chance that they’ll turn him in to the authorities… But if they already know, than there’s no point in trying to hide it. Except he can only fight off so many men at once, and he has no clue how many there might be outside of the small room.

 

_‘Shit…’_

 

As he is rapidly trying to think of a possible escape plan, he barely registers the rattling of metal and the click of a lock before the door at the back of the room bursts open. Heavy footsteps approach him from behind and a rough sack is shoved over his head. Before he can even comprehend the lack of vision, he yelps as he feels the entire chair tilt backwards and he is dragged out of the room, completely at the mercy of whoever is there with him. The wood screeches along the hard, stone, floor for a brief minute, and the rough maneuvering causes him to tense his muscles in preparation for a hard but short fall to the floor, but he is unceremoniously heaved back into an upright position before that can occur. The sound of footsteps bounces off of the walls once again as his kidnapper walks back across the room, a small creak and a bang follow quickly after, but the person hastily returns and stops directly in front of Yuuri.

 

He is breathing heavily, the sack impeding the amount of air he can gulp down while his heart is beating a mile a minute. Every muscle in his body is as rigid as an iron rod as he is forced to sit there, blind and waiting in dreadful anticipation. Minutes go by, and nothing happens. After the footsteps, the only sound that he can hear is the crackle of a nearby fire, and he is too scared to even move an inch. Just as he thinks he might actually be alone, someone violently rips the sack off of his head. Blinking a few times, he takes in his new surroundings, and it is not very welcoming.

 

His chair is now positioned in the middle of a dim room, similar to the previous one he was in, but this one is a little larger and with more furniture. Here, there are no windows, and the only source of light is coming from torches mounted along the walls as well as a fireplace off to his left. In front of him, he sees a large, towering man only a few steps away, and with a quick glance over the brute’s shoulder, he can see another person leaning against the far wall and guarding a wooden staircase leading up to another level. The steadily burning flames cast an orange glow around the room, illuminating the various objects displayed around what must be a basement. His eyes dart around, panic filling every bone in his body when he finally acknowledges the weapons and torture devices comprising the large collection. Items such as planks of wood with nails sticking out, an assortment of pliers, a wide variety of knives and swords, and a table equipped with leather restraints, all fill the cellar. There are a few shelves and cupboards against the wall holding an assortment of vials and jars, but he can’t even begin to fathom what might be contained within them.

 

All too soon, the man standing in front of him steps forward, and Yuuri’s attention quickly snaps forward as he assesses the incoming threat. The kidnapper is big and burly, probably close in size to the giant robber he and Chris fought several days ago. The ragged clothing he wears is baggy on his frame, but it is smudged with dirt and filled with holes from his boots all the way up to the collar of his brown vest. He notices the man’s arms next, as they are obviously incredibly muscular, and it looks like he could easily strangle a cow with his enormous hands. Glancing at the face of his attacker, he notices how round and chubby he actually is, but dark, menacing eyes are the one thing that draws his attention upwards. His chin is dotted with a scraggly beard that does little to cover up the bright red scar running down the man’s face, crossing over to his left cheek from the center of his forehead, and all in all, it perfectly completes the typical back alley thug look.

 

The closer he steps to Yuuri, the taller he seems to become, and the young man unconsciously shrinks back onto himself, feeling like a bug ready to be squashed. The available light casts darks shadows across the man’s face, making him look even more sinister and intimidating as he approaches. Yuuri can only assume that this man is the leader, and he tries to hold his breath as the stink of booze, dirt, and sweat, emanate off of the man’s body. As if his heart hadn’t already stopped, the man finally leans in close, placing a hand over Yuuri’s shoulder and resting it on the back of the chair. In his position, the only relief he can gather comes from turning his face to the side, but his racing heart, nauseating headache, and the obscenely thick stench is doing him no favors.

 

“Do you know who we are?” The deep, gruff voice questions.

 

Yuuri simply shakes his head, unsure if he is even able to speak without throwing up.

 

“Do you know why you’re here?”

 

Again, he shakes his head, still avoiding eye contact with the imposing figure.

 

“Well then, how about I refresh your memory?”

 

The next thing he knows, a swift punch is delivered straight to his gut, making him splutter and hunch forward as much as he can. Yuuri coughs and groans, sucking back deep breaths of vomit inducing miasma and trying not to think about the pain, but the punch might as well have been performed with a steel rod. The leader slowly turns and walks over to one of the displays on the wall while the young man attempts to sit upright in the chair, and he seemingly takes his time to carefully select an item before returning to his captive. Without any more time for rest, Yuuri’s head is harshly yanked back by a fist wrapped in his dark hair, and now a razor sharp dagger is thrust towards his face, stopping only a hairs length away from his skin. Delicately, the large man then touches the cool metal against his cheek, inching the small blade along Yuuri’s exposed skin. The steel glides precariously along his face before slowly working its way down his neck, and the movement eventually forces a small whimper from Yuuri’s throat.

 

“Where is it?” The man bluntly asks.

 

“P-please…” He chokes out, the unpleasant throbbing in his gut a lot worse than he thought. “I d-don’t know what you’re t-talking about.”

 

Yuuri lets out another whine as the man becomes agitated, gripping his hair even harder as he presses the knife closer to his throat, still keeping his skin intact.

 

“Don’t fuck with me!” The man growls. “We both know that it’s one of a kind, and its potential is far too great to be hidden away. It was going to fetch us a pretty penny on the black market, and if you’d rather not pay with your life then you better start talking.” He bites out.

 

Tears start to fill Yuuri’s eyes. He has no idea what the man is looking for, but the brief outpouring teaches him three things. One, the man is looking for a unique object worth a lot of money, two, he doesn’t know that Yuuri is a magician otherwise he wouldn’t be threatening him over some lost item, and three, his group deals with the underground market, and those people are heavily money motivated. The information is valuable, and now Yuuri knows that if he uses his magic they are definitely going to sell him out for the bounty, or worse.

 

The man sneers, unimpressed by the silence he receives as a response. He takes the blade away from Yuuri’s neck and the young man breathes a sigh of relief, letting his head fall forward once more. However, the reprieve is short lived, because as the man turns to walk away, he quickly whirls around and follows through with an iron fist. The punch is a devastating blow across his right cheek, and the impact causes his glasses to fly off and rattle across the floor as his head is forced to the side, but it is barely a second before it hangs limply over his left shoulder like a ragdoll. The pain radiating through his entire face from one punch is agonizing, and he remains bent over to his left as a coppery taste quickly fills his mouth before dripping onto the floor. 

 

“Tell me where it is.” The man demands.

 

Coughing out a mix of spit and blood, Yuuri uses all the strength he has left in his body to sit up once again, feeling an unfamiliar liquid that can only be one thing dripping down his face.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Another hard punch connects, this time on the left side of his head.

 

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Where, is, the weapon?”

 

_‘Weapon? What kind of weapon is worth so much on the black market? Let alone unique?’_

Again, his silence seems to enrage the man. “Alright. If that’s how you want to play… It’s a shame though, after this you’re not nearly going to be as pretty.”

 

His kidnapper steps back and walks around to the back of the chair, and Yuuri tries to turn his head to see what the man is doing, but the sudden movement makes him feel dizzy. The heavy blows must have made his concussion worse, and he can’t help but hang his head and close his eyes, trying to make the vertigo go away. Before he can take a moment for himself, his chair is being dragged across the room once again, and his eyes shoot open as he begins desperately squirming against the ropes, looking for an escape. When he is placed back on the ground, his new view shows him the door he must have come out of earlier.

 

“Hey Keith, come help me for a sec.”

 

Yuuri has to think for a moment before he remembers there is a second man in the room, and he prays to god that Keith is nicer than the leader. It isn’t long before he feels hands pushing and pulling at the knot behind his back while the big boss kneels down and starts untying his legs as well, and there is a brief moment of dumb hope that they might actually just let him go. However, his dreams of freedom are quickly shattered as soon as the four ropes tying him to the chair are removed, and the two men grab his wrists and ankles, heaving him up onto the wooden table. He tries to fight and wrestle his way out of their grasp, but they both have a strong hold on him as they buckle his limbs into the leather restraints at each end of the wooden slab.

 

As both men take a step back to admire their work, the leader speaks up once more.

 

“Go tell the other’s upstairs that this might take a while.”

 

Keith nods. “You got it boss.”

 

_‘Others? How many of them are there?’_

 

Before taking his leave, the Kieth sneaks one last look at Yuuri, and as their eyes connect, the young man tries to plead with every fiber in his body that the man help him, but instead, the other man turns and makes his way upstairs.

“Since you don’t seem to be in the mood to talk, maybe we can have a little fun to loosen your tongue.”

 

The foreboding words are enough to make Yuuri’s stomach drop. Rapidly he begins pushing and pulling against the leather, but it is tightly secured around his joints and to the table, restricting his movement to only a few inches in any direction. The boss steps away and has his back to the young man for a few moments, carefully selecting another tool from his collection. Yuuri can only lay there, spread open like a rat ready for dissection, thinking about what is to come, and completely at the man’s mercy.

 

“If you tell me what you’re looking for, m-maybe I could help you find it?” He tries, desperation obviously leaking into his voice.

 

Still facing away from the young man, a deep, sarcastic chuckle echoes around the room. “Oh you can help me find it alright.” The sinister tone the man slips into sends chills down Yuuri’s spine. “You’re the one that stole it from me after all.”

 

Yuuri knows now that this all has to be some bizarre misunderstanding, but either way he is the one being held accountable for whatever misfortune fell upon a man that clearly shouldn’t be crossed. A sudden rush of anger blooms in his chest at being easily dismissed as a liar, and the strong emotion filters through as he surges forward as much as he can on the table, frantically trying to get his point across as he yells at the other man.

 

“But I haven’t taken anything!”

 

The snappy remark makes the leader rapidly spin around to face him. “You think I don’t know who you are!?” The boss’ anger and fury are crystal clear in both his voice and daunting body language, making Yuuri immediately regret his outburst. “You’re a no good, dirty, rotten, thief. You go around stealing what isn’t yours in the dead of night, wearing your long dark cloak to keep yourself hidden. But guess what, Yuri?” The young man’s eyes widen at the emphasis of his name coming from the stranger’s mouth. “I found you. And you messed with the wrong people, so I’m gonna make you pay for what you did. I gave you multiple opportunities to tell me where it is, and since you refuse to even give me the common courtesy of admitting it, I’m going to start having a little fun myself.”

 

The boss turns his back on Yuuri once more, striding straight up to the fireplace. Two and two rapidly click together in his mind, and a fresh new wave of sheer, unadulterated panic courses through the man still strapped to the table.

 

“No! You don’t understand! I haven’t done anything! I don’t know anything about you, or this weapon you’re looking for! You’ve gotta believe me! I would never steal from anyone!”

 

His words apparently fall upon deaf ears as he receives no response from the man facing the fire. As he continues to beg and plead, the next thing he hears is metal scraping against metal before the leader turns to face him, now brandishing a white hot blade. The young man’s eyes double in size, and he tries once more free himself from the restraints, thrashing as hard as he can. As the hulk of a man walks back over to the table, his dark eyes have taken on a more sadistic look, which when paired with the slightest of grins brings tears to Yuuri’s eyes.  

 

“Last chance.” The man calmly states.

 

Yuuri’s breath gets caught in his throat.

 

_‘There’s nothing I can do…’_

He can feel tears start rolling down his cheeks as he starts to beg. “P-please… P-please don’t do this…”

 

“Wrong answer.”

 

With that, the monster pushes the knife straight into his right forearm, and Yuuri lets out a blood curdling scream. The intense heat combined with the deep cut through his muscle is excruciating, and he can’t control how he yells out in agony as the man continues to slice down his arm for what feels like several seconds, or maybe hours. His initial reflex is to move away, but the rigid jolt away from the source just causes the blade to catch on more skin and muscle, amplifying the torture even more. When the knife finally leaves his body, he is sobbing. It feels as if the dagger is still lodged deep into his arm, and the radiating pain is practically unbearable.

 

Once again he considers using his magic, with a fire nearby he might be able to summon it closer to him, but he still can’t move his arms and legs, and so attacking anyone is out of the question. He still doesn’t know how many people are upstairs either, and if he reveals himself, he can only imagine that he would be subject to so much worse. His only hope right now is that the others can find him before it’s too late, but just as the searing pain starts to dull, another strip of flesh is burned away right next to the first.

 

His violent screams fill the room once again, as he feels the man pressing and holding the hot knife harder and longer than the first time. He tries not to thrash around and cause the blade to touch more than it already has, and so he tenses every muscle in his body and braces himself against the leather straps. His focus narrows to the sensation in his arm, tears streaming down the sides of his face as he lays helpless on the table, voice quickly becoming too hoarse to even scream out in pain.

 

_‘Please… Please god let them find me… Victor, please come find me…’_


	19. Wanted Man

It has been twelve hours, and there is still no sign of Yuuri. Victor is pacing back and forth in his room, unable to sit still and trying to think of something, anything that they might have missed. He runs his hands through his silver hair, briefly pushing the fringe out of his face before letting it fall back into place. It is starting to get a little greasy, he hasn’t slept, ate, or even bathed since Yuuri went missing, and he doesn’t plan on doing any of those things until the young man is found. His anxious steps bring him back in front of the window, and his fiery blue eyes glare out at the forest like it has personally offended him. Taking a deep breath, he allows himself a moment, before he begins to run through the events of last night in his head for the millionth time.

 

About an hour before midnight, Yuuri disappeared. After finding the torch in the woods, they followed Seung-gil’s tracking north for a while, heading deep into the forest. Eventually, they popped out onto a small back road, and the man stated that they must have had a transport waiting for them because the trail went cold, and the number of tracks on the path made it impossible to tell which way they went. It was then that the group decided to split up. Half of them went west and the other half east, vowing to investigate where each route led and report back to the hostel. Victor and Chris followed the road west, only to eventually find that it ended at the bank of a river flowing out of the lake. There is no way anyone could have crossed it without a boat or bridge, and so the pair returned to the designated meeting location.

 

Upon their arrival, they found everyone else already accounted for, patiently waiting in their room. The sun was starting to peak through the windows, and the morning light highlighted the dark shadows on everyone’s faces. No one had slept a wink since their last night on the road, and the bags underneath everyone’s eyes was a telltale sign that they were all exhausted. Victor and Chris quickly reported what they had found, Phichit and Georgi recounted a very boring night alone with no new information, and Seung-gil and the girls had actually learned something useful.

 

As it turns out, the eastbound road lead straight back into the city, and the trail is used as a road to transport fresh fish into town, with the river being a successful fishing spot due to the breeding area. They received all of this information from a local fishmonger, who was out early prepping his wagon for that exact journey when they happened to stop by. When they asked the man if he had seen anything suspicious, he said that he noticed some of the big names in the black market come through about an hour prior with a cart. He made sure to mention that he doesn’t like to get mixed up in the affairs of the illegal trade because they get into some nasty business, but he recommended that they talk to a boy named Yurio if they wanted more details on the group.

 

This is why Victor is now the one who gets stuck with the job to stay behind just in case. As he waits in the hostel, wearing down the floorboards with his excessive pacing, the others scour the city for some kid named Yurio. His restlessness is pushing his limits to the max, and if he receives no word from the others in the next hour, he is positive he is going to go on a rampage. Walking around the room is the only way he can burn up the pent up energy he has yet to use for any sort of meaningful task, and even though he is absolutely exhausted, he cannot bring himself to lie down or even sit for a fraction of a second when he knows Yuuri is still out there.

 

Minutes feel like hours, and his mind continues to repeat the same mantra over and over again. _‘Please be okay… Please be okay… Please be okay…’_

What feels like an eternity later, a knock sounds at his door, and he quickly rushes over to see who it is. Taking only a few seconds to unlock and swing open the heavy door, he comes eye to eye with his best friend.

 

“You obviously haven’t done anything productive since we left.” Chris casually states, as he strides past him and stands in the center of the room.

 

Victor rapidly shuts the door, ignoring the remark as he locks it once more before turning to his friend. “Well?”

 

Chris sighs. “We couldn’t find him…”

 

The four words make Victor’s heart drop.

 

“However,” the blonde continues, “we did our rounds, and everyone met up or exchanged information between parties several times. It took us a while, but we learned that this kid always hangs out with his friend named Otabek, and his buddy is well known for producing herbal remedies for townsfolk.”

 

Victor nods, blue eyes shining as his hope returns, eager for his friend to continue.

 

“From what we’ve heard, he usually makes rounds through the farmers market at noon, trading medicine to some of the vendors for fresh produce. So right now the rest of the team is currently camped out among the crowds, waiting and watching closely for his arrival. As soon as one of us spots him, we’ll try to initiate a dialogue and find this Yurio.”

 

Once again, the silver haired man enthusiastically nods. “What does he look like?”

 

“He should be around Yuuri’s height, muscular build, dark brown eyes, sharp chin, and has black hair with an undercut. Apparently he looks almost as straight faced as Seung-gil.”

 

Sparing a millisecond to glance at the clock he had been glaring at for hours, Victor quickly takes note of the time as if he hadn’t already known.

 

“Alright, it’s almost noon. Me and you are going to go back and help the others look. This is our only lead, and we can’t mess this up and end up scaring this Otabek off or waiting another whole day to find Yuuri.”

 

Chris readily agrees, and the two head back out the door. As soon as they step onto the streets, they make their way downtown to where all of the stands are set up for sales, and they are rapidly encompassed in a large crowd. Chris tells him that the others are covering the remaining two thirds of the market, and that they will be focusing on this particular street for the time being. Walking along, they scrutinize every potential candidate with dark hair and an undercut, observing any matching profiles to see if they are just simple customers or trading their own goods to the vendors.

 

Victor scans over the numerous faces passing by, rapidly judging their age, gender, and body height, while taking a peek at the various items each person seems to be shopping for. It feels like the whole city has come out to the market on the seemingly ordinary day, and the sheer number of people present only fuels the older man's frustration, because none of them are who he wants it to be. Caught up in his thoughts, Victor almost overlooks a man in a cloak with a basket full of plants, thinking that he is out buying some vegetables for his dinner. That is, until he notices the man passing off a small bundle of leaves from his basket, along with a piece of paper, in exchange for a generous amount of tomatoes. The trade certainly isn’t what he was expecting. Out of everything he would have assumed that dealing medicine would include more tubes, vials, or jars, filled with a unique concoction for someone to drink, eat, or otherwise apply, but as he eyes the man once more, he quickly realizes he fits Chris’ description perfectly.

 

Grabbing his friend’s arm, he motions to the man walking away from the stand he just bartered with. Chris nods and the two quickly pick up their pace, cutting around the throngs of people in order to catch up to the young man. Reaching out, Victor manages to get close enough to tap him on the shoulder, making him stop as he turns to face the two men.

 

“Hi there, we’re sorry to bother you, but do you have a minute?” Victor attempts, trying to sound as friendly as possible, but the man glances back and forth between the pair, no doubt observing the disheveled state they happen to be in.

 

“What would this be about?” He responds, his deep monotone voice clear and precise.

 

“We just want to ask you a couple of questions. You’re Otabek right?” The man nods. “Excellent. I’m Chris, and this is my friend Victor. One of the fishmongers in the market suggested that we get in touch with someone named Yurio, and supposedly he’s your friend.”

 

“Do you know where we can find him?” Victor quickly adds.

 

The man looks at them with an odd expression on his face, almost like surprise. “What do you need him for?”

 

“A friend of ours went missing, and we were told that he might know where to find him.”

 

Another moment passes, and Otabek remains completely straight faced, clearly judging the two men before him. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” He asks, blatantly eyeing the sword hanging from Victor’s hip and obviously distrusting two armed strangers that chose to confront him in the middle of the market.

 

For a moment, the men are taken aback by the question, unsure of how to validate their story, but Victor stares intently at the young man before pressing his right hand over his heart and sweeping into a deep bow. Tilting up his head, he makes eye contact once more as he pleads his case.

 

“Please. We are desperate. We’ll do anything to repay you for the inconvenience, but our friend might die if we don’t find him.” Victor knows from experience that the desperation he feels in his voice translates into his eyes as well, and he stares up at his only hope to rescue Yuuri as he continues. “We would be eternally grateful if you could offer us any information to help save him, but I am not lying when I say that you truly are our only hope of finding him.”

 

A moment of silence passes between the men, and Victor is determined not to move an inch until he receives a reply. Otabek’s face does not waiver once, expertly concealing his true feelings on the matter as he takes his time mulling over the situation in his head.

 

“Alright.” He finally states. “Follow me.”

 

The two friends breathe a sigh of relief, both of them relaxing slightly as they quickly follow the mysterious man into a back alley. Otabek effortlessly navigates the twists and turns, jumping between side streets and shortcuts, and it is not long before Victor gives up any and all hope of finding his way back on his own. As they move away from the busy city center, fewer people are seen in their vicinity, until they finally enter a rundown neighborhood, and they realize they don’t see any other person at all. Otabek brings them to an old, stone house, with boarded up windows and dull, grey, paint, peeling off the sides. He walks up to a large panel of wood covering the front entrance and knocks with an obvious pattern, and a few seconds later, the makeshift door slides open, and the three men walk inside. The interior is just as beat up as the exterior, with holes in the walls and a sketchy set of stairs leading up to an even sketchier second floor. However, the men don’t get much time to look around before they hear the wood slide back into place, and an angry voice starts shouting behind them.

 

“What the fuck Beka!? Why did you bring two strangers back to our house!? One of them is even armed!”

 

The three men turn around to face the speaker. A petite, blonde, boy, with shoulder length hair and turquoise eyes is scowling at them, arms crossed over his chest. Victor and Chris exchange a quick glance, both asking the same silent question.

 

_‘Is this Yurio?’_

 

The dark haired man approaches the aggressive welcome party easily, as if the young man isn’t ready to bite his head off at the obvious betrayal. “It’s alright Yura, they just need some help.”

 

The young boy glares at the duo and clicks his tongue, making sure the gesture is unquestionably taken as a sign of derision.

 

“Yeah. Sure.” He sarcastically responds while simultaneously rolling his eyes. “What do they want?” He bites out, no longer yelling, but the scowl and angry tone have yet to fade away.

 

Otabek calmly steps even closer to his so called friend. “They say one of their friends went missing, and the fishmonger in the market told them that you might be able to help find him.”

 

“And why would I do that?”

 

“Yura…” Otabek admonishes the boy’s brash behaviour.

 

The blonde simply rolls his eyes once more. “Fine. But you need to promise to stop bringing people back when they supposedly need help with something. You’re gonna get us killed.”

 

“Have I ever been wrong about anyone before?”

 

“No… But one of these days we’re not going to be so lucky.” Yurio says, relaxing his arms so that they hang by his side as he turns his attention to the two strangers in his house. “Oi! You two. I don’t have all day.”

 

The blunt statement catches the men off guard, but they quickly recover. “Sorry. I’m Victor and this is my friend Chris. We’re part of a small group of travelers that just arrived in town yesterday, and we just want to know if you can tell us where the people running the underground trade in Karnic reside.”

 

Yurio stills, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as his voice takes on a serious tone. “You shouldn’t be looking for them. They aren’t the kind of people you want to be involved with. Trust me.”

 

Chris agrees. “We would never even dream of it, if they only hadn’t taken our friend last night.”

 

“Well your friend must be pretty stupid to piss off those fuckers. I mean, what kind of dipshit picks a fight with illegal traders? If he’s lucky they’ll just beat him up in an alley before leaving him to die from blood loss or something like that. Or, maybe they’ll be nice and have some decency for once, deal with him quickly. What did he do to deserve being kidnapped anyway? Piss on their house?”

 

The boy’s words are vulgar and uncalled for, and Victor clenches his hands into fists as he tries to control his temper.

 

“I assure you that is not the case.” He responds, gritting his teeth.

 

The young man smirks. “Then what?” He prods, obviously amused by the emotional trigger. “Did you not get your cut of the money when your friend got picked off the streets to become some mafia whore?”

 

“Yuuri isn’t like that!” Victor shouts, unable to sit idly by at the cruel statement. “He is incredibly smart and probably the kindest man in the whole world! He would never stoop so low and become some back alley prostitute and he would never hurt a fly! And still they just… they just took him…” His sentence dies in his throat as he lowers his head, trying to hold back the tears of frustration threatening to spill out, and as per usual, Chris places a hand on his shoulder in order to provide comfort.

 

As if a switch has been flipped in the teen’s mind, the blonde’s tone of voice changes from cocky to dangerously cautious. “What did you say his name was?”

 

“Yuuri.” Chris clearly states. “Yuuri Katsuki. Why? Does that name mean something to you?”

 

The boy huffs out a laugh before his face falls and a grim expression settles into place. “Kind of… my name is Yuri too.”

 

“I thought your name was Yurio?” Chris inquires with a furrow in his brow.

 

“That’s not my name!” The boy shouts, immediately shutting down any follow up on the subject. “What was he wearing when he was taken?”

 

Everyone in the room now wears a confused look on their face, with the exception of the cryptic blonde.

 

“Um… I think he was wearing his long, dark brown cloak when we went out yesterday… What does that have to do with anything?” Victor presses.

 

“Well, if I know anything about the pieces of shit that took your friend, they are probably gonna kill him, and unfortunately I’m not kidding.”

 

Victor and Chris are shocked.

 

“What!? Why!?” Chris yells.

 

Yuri sighs. “Simply put, he’s going to die because last night I stole something extremely valuable from them, and they must think that it was your Yuuri that robbed them.”

 

“What!?” Victor shouts. “An innocent man is going to die because of some low life criminal!?”

 

The young boy sneers. “I’m not a fucking criminal. I only take what doesn’t belong to others in the first place.”

 

Victor is skeptical. “Yeah? And what, pray tell, was so important for you to steal from those abhorrent murderers you’re so scared to get involved with?”

 

Yuri grits his teeth. “A weapon that should have never seen the light of day in the first place.”

 

“What weapon?” Chris asks.

 

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you… but let’s just say that they were planning to sell it to the highest bidder, and it’s probably worth thousands if not millions on the black market. Its destructive power is absolutely grotesque, and I couldn’t let it fall into the wrong hands, so I took it.”

 

“If you stole it, then where is it?” Chris asks.

 

On the inside, Victor silently applauds his best friend for trying to find something to back up the young man’s story.

 

Yuri just scoffs, clicking his tongue. “I don’t need to show you anything.”

 

“I disagree.” The green eyed man says, holding his ground. “Prove to us that you’re not some coward and using Yuuri as a scapegoat for your own mistakes.”

 

“Ha! Regardless of whether or not I show you, it still doesn’t change the fact that I’m your only hope of finding your little friend.”

 

“That is true.” The older blonde admits. “But, if you choose not to tell us where he is, we might be inclined to pay a visit to some of the local authorities to report the whereabouts of a notorious criminal.”

 

Yuri’s mouth gapes open like a fish, clearly looking conflicted about his next move. Victor watches as the boy’s eyes stray to Otabek, seemingly trying to gain some sort of alibi for his actions, but the man merely shrugs, and the aggressive teen’s pleading look quickly turns into a glare.

 

Chris crosses his arms. “Well? Where is this devastatingly powerful weapon that needs to be hidden away from the rest of humanity?”

 

The young boy turns his harsh stare onto the man with two toned hair as he practically growls.

 

“Fine. You want to see what this thing can do? I’ll show you what it can do.”

 

A raging fire is burning behind those cerulean eyes, and Yuri walks straight past the group of men and further into the run down house. They can hear him muttering to himself as he shuffles across the dusty floor, and soon he returns with a small dagger forged from a single piece of metal. As he holds it up to showcase the item to the room, he cocks his head to the side, aggressively emphasizing the object that they are so adamant to see. It doesn’t look like much, and the blade appears extremely dull, even from a distance, but the one distinguishing feature draws their eyes down to the handle. That is where they notice a small, oval, gemstone imbedded into the hilt, and it gently shimmers in the dim light of the house, showing off its beautiful periwinkle hue.

 

After allowing them a few moments of gawking, Yuri turns to face the wall across from the stairs, firmly planting his feet on the ground before raising the small weapon with two hands. Victor and Chris look at each other, confused at what the young boy hopes to accomplish. Behind them, they are mildly aware of Otabek taking a few steps back, and before they know it, Yuri rapidly raises the blade above his head and slashes in a downward diagonal. They can barely follow the boy’s movements, because as soon as he brings down the dagger, the already broken down wall beside them explodes.

 

A thick cloud of dust and dirt hovers around the interior, and the two strangers to the house close their eyes and cover their mouths as they start coughing uncontrollably. After a few minutes, most of the debris settles, and the pair finally manages to open their eyes and witness the damage.

 

Yuri stands in the same spot as before, patting and wiping all the dirt off his clothes. Next to him, a giant hole, the size of an elephant, is now connecting the hallway to the next room over.

 

Chris openly stares. “How did you do that?” He breathes out.

 

The young boy lifts his head to stare at the men. “Honestly, I have no clue how the damn thing works, but I can tell you that I overheard the lackeys that were guarding it say something about magic.”

 

Victor and Chris exchange a quick glance before turning back to the blonde. He obviously noticed their silent exchange and takes a step back.

 

“Try and take it from me, and I bet you we’re all going to find out just how powerful it can be.”

 

The older men both raise their hands up in surrender. “As long as you’re not planning on using it for your own personal gain, then we have no complaints.” Chris solemnly states.

 

Victor adamantly nods his head in agreement, and the young boy visibly relaxes, however, the older man still doesn’t grasp the whole picture. “Even if you took this from them, why would they bother to kidnap Yuuri?”

 

A remorseful expression crosses Yuri’s face. “My escapades around the city have always been anonymous. I always make sure to only work at dusk or nightfall, and I never fail to wear my dark cloak to cover my face and light hair. Unfortunately, an incident about a year ago led to them obtaining my first name...  They must have realized I was the one to rob them, but if you two were out in the city, some of their back alley goons might have overheard his name at some point, and when they saw it belonged to a young man in a dark cloak they probably jumped to conclusions. There aren’t exactly a lot of Yuri’s running around town since my reputation makes me look like my crimes target innocent people sometimes.”

 

Everyone in the room is silent as they absorb all of the new information, slowly letting all of the puzzle pieces fall into place.

 

“I’m sorry about your Yuuri,” the blonde breaks the silence, staring intently at the floor, “as much as I regret getting him mixed up in all of this, there are too many lives at stake if this gets into the wrong hands.” The young man gently turns the blade around in his hands, scrutinizing its unique features rather than looking up to meet the eyes of the two men. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but if something goes wrong I can’t risk showing up at their door, and I don’t trust you enough to keep my secret if you get caught...”

 

For the first time in a long time, Chris’ mouth gapes open, obviously unsure of how to proceed. The look on his friends face causes the guilt and dread to begin sinking in once again, however, Victor eventually manages to speak up, stumbling on his words.

 

“But… He can’t die… I-I can’t… I promised he would be safe...”

 

The once angry flicker in the boy’s teal eyes has faded into something close to regret. “I’m sorry…”

 

“No!” The older man shouts, catching everyone in the room off guard. “I will not just stand here while you tell me he’s out there about to die! Just tell me where they are and I’ll save him myself.”

 

Yuri stands tall, trying to get his point across. “Even if I did tell you, they will kill you. But only after they result to methods so inhumane that you’ll beg to die first if you haven’t already told them everything they want. The fucking bastards have absolutely no mercy when it comes to people who get in their way.”

 

“I don’t care.” Victor’s conviction begins to shine through, building up the more he talks. “I’d rather die trying than walk away from a friend who’s counting on me.” He knows he’s struck a nerve as the blonde boy glances over to Otabek with a pained expression, and so he continues. “I’m not asking you to come and help me save him, hell, make a run for it for all I care.” Dropping his voice to a soft plea, he draws Yuri’s attention back to him. “I’m just asking you to allow me the opportunity to try and help him myself.”

 

Chris and Otabek are standing off to the side, watching the exchange and probably wondering what will happen next. Victor has yet to break eye contact after his appeal, and they all wait for the other’s response. The young boy takes a deep breath in through his nostrils, before loudly exhaling with a sigh and a groan.

 

“Alright. I’ll help you. But on one condition.”

 

Victor doesn’t even need to think about it. “Whatever you want.”

 

“If we live, and that is a huge if, you must allow Otabek and myself to join your little caravan, and we have to get the fuck out of town as soon as possible once this is over. Deal?”

 

“Victor…” Chris begins to warn, taking a step closer behind him.

 

Victor knows there are a million reasons why this breaks all of their security protocol, and if he was in any state of mind to be rational they would discuss the matter before making any rash decisions, but it’s already too late. He has already extended his hand and is nodding his head in approval.

 

“Agreed.” He smoothly replies.

 

A smirk grows on the blonde’s face as he reaches out to accept the handshake and seal the deal. “Excellent.”


	20. Suicide Mission

_‘How long has it been? Minutes? Hours? Days?’_

Yuuri is exhausted. He is cold, hungry, and thirsty, and he has no clue how much time has passed since he’s been stuck in this everlasting hell. The man who has been torturing him on and off is currently back upstairs on another break, and two new men have taken his place, keeping an eye on him until the leader gets back. So far he has been able to differentiate between seven, hulking men who have come through the basement, but he is only ever at the mercy of one. Keith, John, Adam, Parker, Alec, and Derek, have all come and go in shifts when the boss isn’t around, keeping their distance and making sure nothing happens. During the short reprieves, he keeps slipping in and out of consciousness, fatigued from dehydration, starvation, and the amount of injuries he has been subjected to since his arrival.

 

He winces as he attempts to take a deep breath in, feeling a stabbing pain shoot through his torso. The leader must have broken a couple ribs at some point, but it’s hard to remember the little things after everything he has endured. The amount of times his body was forced into an unconscious state thanks to hard blows to his head is starting to make all of his memories blur together, but unfortunately, not even blacking out kept him safe for long, as he was always rudely awakened by the next form of relentless torment. It didn’t take long for Yuuri to regret not using his magic earlier, if he had, maybe he could have escaped, or at least separated himself away from these men, but now, his mind and body are far too weak to even register the tingling of magic that has always been present. Without the familiar sense, he feels almost empty inside, like a part of his soul has been taken away, but he does not even have the energy to mourn the part of himself that he lost.

 

As for the rest of his body, he can barely differentiate between the different wounds scattered from his head to his toes. He feels like he was run over by a train, and if that’s just how he feels, he can’t even begin to imagine what he looks like. Still laying on the same table as earlier, he is left only in his pants, since his shirt was removed somewhere along the way, and now he is laying on his stomach rather than his back. Both old and new gashes, cuts, burns, and blood, completely cover his back, matching the marks left on the front of his body as well as each limb. His cheek presses into the rough wood of the table, and he tries to ignore the pain in favor of gaining a little rest for the time being. With his eyes closed, his mind starts to focus on his other senses, and he can feel the different aches and pains littering his entire body slowly melding together to form one giant ball of agony. The dehydration caused him to run out of tears a long time ago, but it also makes it easy to tell exactly how hoarse and scratchy his throat is from all the screaming.

 

His shoulder joints are protesting greatly as well, as they have been stuck in the same position above head for god knows how long. He isn’t even sure if he still has feeling in either of his hands or arms, and there is no way he has enough energy to lift his head to see if they can still move. Another deep inhale leads to a spike of hot pain, and he whimpers, quickly returning to shallow breaths in order to avoid any more unnecessary, self-inflicted, torture.

 

He’s not sure if he manages to fall asleep or not, but the next thing he knows, a bucket of ice cold water is being dumped across his back. The open wounds flare up in response to the cool liquid and his muscles reflexively tense, causing the searing pain from each separate body part to rise up once again.

 

A dark, familiar chuckle booms above him. “Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty.”

 

Yuuri starts to shiver, the involuntary movement maintaining the pain radiating throughout his body as the freezing water continues soaking through his pants and dampening his hair.

 

“Are you ready to have some more fun? I have some very interesting things planned for us. Unless there is anything you would like to tell me?”

 

The young man quickly learned that his pleas and declarations of innocence got him nowhere, and so he remains silent, waiting with a heart full of dread and trying not to think about what comes next.

 

“No?” The man’s voice almost sounds pleased at the thought of continuing his sick torment. “Well alright, don’t say I didn’t try.” He casually says, as another sadistic laugh escapes his lips. “This time however, we’re going to change things up a bit.”

 

A jolt of fear runs through Yuuri’s body, but it is hard to tell the flinch apart from the harsh shivering that continues to rattle his broken form.

 

“Parker!’ The boss bellows, and one of the two men standing by the door stands to attention. “Set up the rig.”

 

“Sure thing boss.”

 

All Yuuri can see is the outline of a man respond to the name, as he walks up to accept the keys from the leader and proceeds to move across the room. Ever since his glasses were knocked off his face within the first few minutes of waking up down here, he hasn’t been able to see shit. He hears the rattling of some chains coming from the direction that Parker was headed, followed by the sound of the keys unlocking the door to the smaller room.

 

Suddenly, he feels the sting of cold hard metal being secured around his wrists as the boss looms over him. Once the new restraints are in place, the leather ones that are attached to the table are unbuckled from around his hands and feet. The brute harshly shoves him across the table, easily getting him to roll onto his back and close to the edge, but the rough treatment rips out pained cries and whines from the back of his throat as the manhandling continues.  Strong hands grab his shoulders and force him to sit upright, and at the same time they orient his legs to dangle of the side before pushing him onto his feet. The relief he feels from finally having his arms back down by his sides is immense, but it is short lived as his shaky legs refuse to hold up his weight and he collapses to the ground with a hard thud.

 

Yuuri yells out in pain as all his previous injuries are harshly jostled by the fall, and he takes a few breaths as he stays down on his hands and knees. The complete exposure to the cold chill in the room amplifies the icy feeling covering his entire body, and his wet hair and clothing clinging to his skin only make the sensation worse.

 

“Come on, up you go.” The boss’ voice echoes through the basement as he is heaved back onto his feet and led across the room, despite any shouts of pain.

 

He can’t control the violent shivers wracking his body, and he attempts to wrap is arms around himself as much as he can, trying to maintain some sort of body heat for the time being. They walk over to the door leading to his previous holding, and pause as Parker walks out just before they reach the threshold.

 

“Get in.” The boss orders.

 

Yuuri shuffles along, readily obeying every command with hope that this time won’t be as brutal as the last, but as he is moving towards the center of the room, he is quickly shoved forward as he hears the door close behind him. The room is darker than before, as it no longer has sunlight pouring through the window, and only a single torch on the far wall illuminates the space. Lifting his head, he blearily notices a hook hanging from the end of a chain in the middle of the room, about five feet away from each wall. His eyes trail upwards, following the metal as it loops through a hoop embedded in the ceiling before coming back down and being secured to a mount on the wall.

 

_‘Fuck.’_

He is forced to stand in front of the hook, facing the closed door as the leader quickly locks his handcuffs into the apparatus and heads over to the wall. Yuuri hears the telltale jingling of chains once more, before the rattle intensifies and his arms are forced to follow the hook as it ascends to the ceiling. If he thought the table was bad, then this is a hundred times worse. The chain is pulled tight, so much so that he is struggling to keep his feet on the ground, and his arms feel like they are going to be ripped from their sockets any second since he has no strength left to even attempt to hold up his entire body weight. Once again, he finds himself whimpering in pain, and he valiantly tries to keep some composure but the agonizing feeling ripping through his body forces him to heave out a dry sob.

 

“I’m sorry, are you uncomfortable?”

 

The young man doesn’t respond, instead quietly hanging his head while he attempts to phase out the blistering ripping sensation pulsing through every inch of his body at the stretch. To make matters worse, he is now also completely exposed to the chilly night breeze, gently blowing through the window and making the dripping water feel like droplets of ice. Yuuri hears the boss huff before he walks around to his front, opening the door and stepping outside before closing the door behind him.

 

He feels absolutely hopeless. At this point, there’s no way he can use his magic, even if he wanted to, and the more he thinks about it, the more he believes that the chance of the others finding him are slim. Phichit only knew that he went outside, and no one would even guess that he managed to get kidnapped by a group of sadistic bastards for something that he isn’t even involved with. Left alone with his thoughts, he begins to accept his grim fate.

 

Only a few moments pass before he hears the jingling of keys once more, and the man quickly enters, holding something behind his back and walking around the room to stand a few feet behind him. The next thing Yuuri feels is a slow, light sensation, running over his right shoulder, and his eyes catch a glimpse of shiny metal tips on the ends of multiple leather strings. As soon as his mind catches up, his body fills with horror as his breathing hastens.

 

“Ah, so you understand what’s about to happen? You know, I’ve never witnessed anyone die from being whipped, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. It’s supposed to be dreadfully slow, since the cause of death is the blood loss itself, but you’ve already lost a lot of blood today so it shouldn’t take too long. Think of this as a merciful death. I could definitely make it a lot worse for you, but on the other hand, I also hear that the pain is pure and utter anguish.”

 

The man steps forward, and Yuuri can feel his hot breath as he leans in beside his ear. He tightly shuts his eyes, shaking and trying not to focus on how he can feel the man hovering a little too close behind him.

 

“I really wish you would have just talked… It’s not as fun as you’d think, being so cruel to someone as attractive as you.”

 

The leader slowly brushes his knuckles down Yuuri’s cheek, and with no other option of escape, he attempts to turn his head away from the unwelcome touch, ignoring any pain that flares up because of the small movement. The combination of the gruff voice and physicality makes him almost gag, and he would have probably done so if not for the promise of what is to come making him frozen with fear.

 

“We could’ve had some real fun me and you…” The man says, as he continues his gentle caress over the young man’s shoulder and down his side until he reaches the waist band of his pants.

 

Yuuri’s breath hitches.

 

“But… orders are orders.” The leader sighs, taking a step back.

 

Yuuri exhales in relief, feeling a shudder run through his body as he thanks the gods for the little mercy he’s received.

 

“Unfortunately, times up for you, Yuri, and someone has to pay.”

 

The young man barely has time to think before the punishing crack of the whip descends upon his already marred back. Once again, he results to screaming, but the new pain is far worse than the torture he endured earlier. Yuuri can already feel his hot blood dripping down his icy back, as the metal tips aided in tearing a large chunk of flesh from his body. At this point, he’s given up, and he finally begins to sob once more, with the very last of his wet tears streaming down his face.

 

Admitting defeat, he starts to mentally say his goodbyes. ‘ _Mari was right, I never should have left... I’m so sorry everyone… I couldn’t even last a week… Victor I’m sorry… Mom, Dad, Mari…. I love you…’_

Just as he is anticipating the next blow, an enormous crash sounds from upstairs. The boss pauses behind him, and the two men look up towards the door leading to the rest of the cellar. They hear muffled words and shouts, accompanied by a symphony of crashes and thuds. The boss quickly steps out from behind Yuuri and exits the room, shutting the door behind him as he heads towards the bottom of the stairs. Forced on his tip toes, Yuuri can barely see out of the bars just barely at his eye level on the door, and he blinks away his tears and squints his eyes, trying to make out anything more than three dark blobs in front of a staircase in a dim room.

 

Soon the cacophony of noise from upstairs comes to an abrupt halt, and they all wait with bated breath to see if whoever is causing the commotion decides to come down and visit. Just as the leader opens his mouth and begins to order his two men, the door slams open, and an invisible force flies down the stairs and causes the three of them to fly back, hitting the stone wall hard. Yuuri hears a series of harsh footsteps scrambling down the stairs before a blurry figure enters the dark room. He can’t see who it is without his glasses, but they look like they might be around his height with dark hair, but he is fairly certain that he doesn’t know who it is. Still practically dangling off the floor, he watches from the adjacent room as the mysterious man immediately strides over to the three men scrambling to get off the ground.

 

Suddenly he hears a second and third set of steps rushing down the stairs, and right on their heels a fourth and a fifth. As they all reach the bottom, Yuuri can only make out their size and hair colour as they blitz his captors. He sees a blonde man and another dark haired man first, followed by the lithe frame of someone with black hair, and finally a flash of silver.

 

He wants to collapse with relief as he makes out the short platinum hair in the distance, and he starts to hear familiar voices shouting in the next room.

 

_‘They found me…’_

 

The thought of his release makes him start to cry harder, and it almost feels like a dream now that he knows that they came for him. He tries to speak, wanting to let the others know he’s here, but his voice is nothing more than a wisp of air leaving his lips. The hours of screaming with no food or water tore up his throat, and as he tries again, he only manages to get out a small quiet squeak among the loud commotion outside.

 

The fighting continues until suddenly another abrupt silence fills the space. Yuuri can’t see anyone through the small opening anymore, but he can hear footsteps shuffling around the large room. Briefly, he considers that his friends might have been overwhelmed by the three beasts watching over him, until that beautiful head of hair pops up in front of the door.

 

“Holy fuck, Yuuri!”

 

The sound of Victor’s voice is the sweetest thing he has ever heard, and he is so thankful they found him in time. It is then that he notices the door rattling on its hinges, and he looks up to see Victor’s face displaying the man’s frustration.

 

Steeling himself, he tries to speak once again, barely managing a whisper and cracking horribly. “V-vic-tor…”

 

The man he is addressing doesn’t seem to hear his feeble attempt, as he has started trying to break down the door with his shoulder, and so Yuuri tries again.

 

“V-Vic-tor…”

 

He must have been a little louder because the man stops to look at him, and Yuuri thinks he can see shimmering tears in his eyes.

 

“K-… k-key…” He rasps. “Bo-boss.”

 

Victor’s eyes widen as he turns around. “Guys! We need to find the key to the door. Search the men to see if any of them have a set.”

 

A round of acknowledgement sounds through the group, and Victor immediately returns to look at Yuuri through the bars.

 

“It’s okay Yuuri. Everything is gonna be alright. You’re going to be okay. I’ll get you out of here.”

 

The young man relaxes at the words, and his adrenaline spike is starting to go down, releasing the tension from his muscles and making his eyelids droop. After a few moments he completely closes his eyes and lowers his head, too tired to put in the effort to stay alert.

 

_‘Why do I need to worry? I’m safe now…”_

 

“Yuuri…”

 

_‘Hmm?’_

 

“Yuuri!”

 

The young man’s head lobs over to the side as he cracks his eyes open.

 

“You have to stay awake Yuuri. Can you do that for me? Just for a little bit longer?”

 

Yuuri thinks that Victor sounds scared, and he wants to nod in order to reassure the man that he’s okay now that they’re here, but everything that he went through is starting to catch up with him. His head is starting to feel woozy, and not just because of the lack of food and water, but the significant blood loss is making itself known, and everything starts to spin. Fresh blood continues to run trails down his back, and he finds with every passing moment it gets harder and harder to take meaningful breaths.

 

“Found them!” Chris yells from across the basement before the sound of jingling keys flies across the room towards Victor.

 

The older man quickly starts rotating multiple keys around the ring, attempting to unlock the door with each one, and a series of ‘Shit!’ and ‘Fuck!’ follow each failed effort. A minute passes before Yuuri finally hears the click of the lock and the older man bursts through the door. Victor immediately jumps straight over to the young man and holds him up while Chris follows in behind him and detaches the chain from the wall. Yuuri slumps forward into the man’s arms as soon as the chain becomes loose, and he winces as the now familiar sting of his injuries rub against the rough texture of dry clothing. It is only when he is finally in the silver haired man's arms that Yuuri realizes he is as cold as the arctic, soaking wet with both blood and water as he feels the wonderful sensation of comfortable heat emanating off of Victors body.

 

“Oh my god…” Victor breathes, as he gently lowers them both to the ground, cradling the young man in his arms close to his chest.

 

Yuuri isn’t sure why the man holding him looks so upset, and so he raises his hands that are still locked together, in order to brush away the tears that have begun falling from the older man’s shimmering crystal eyes.

 

 _‘Beautiful eyes shouldn’t cry…’_ He thinks, and he watches as Victor blinks, obviously surprised, but Yuuri doesn’t know why.

 

Chris kneels down beside the pair and immediately starts trying to unlock the handcuffs, while Victor takes this time to look up and down at his poor, mangled body. Yuuri can only imagine that from the man’s point of view, he must look like the survivor of a horrible bear attack or someone who fell off of a cliff into a patch of cacti, but from his angle, he can only see so much. So he finds himself focusing on the face of the man sitting above him, finally safe, and watching carefully with unabashed wonder at the droplets of water that are now rushing down the man’s face.

 

“I’m sorry…” Victor whispers, tilting his head down and closing his eyes. “I am so sorry Yuuri…”

 

The young man is starting to become more and more complacent, and Victor’s body temperature makes him feel so warm and secure. His eyes start to flutter shut once more, but the older man quickly snaps out of his self-loathing.

 

“Yuuri, you have to stay awake, okay? You can’t go to sleep just yet, we need to get you out of here.”

 

The young man wants to be able to reply, but right now he can barely focus on anything except the fading feeling of his body surrendering to complete and total relaxation. In the back of his mind he knows that his lack of response must be concerning, but involuntarily, his eyes, although remaining open, slowly start to glaze over. His rapid, shallow breathing and slow blinking is now the only confirmation he can give.

 

“Please dorogoy, you have to stay strong just a little bit longer. I promise that you can take a nice long nap once we’re safe, okay? Just stay with me.”

 

Yuuri is pretty sure one of those words was in a different language, but he doesn’t remember. All he knows is that through all of the blurriness, Victor looks worried, and so he tries to give a little grunt to reassure him, doing his best to give the older man something to work with.

 

Finally Chris manages to free the young man from his restraints, and as he throws the chains off to the side he nods to Victor.

 

“Okay, I’m going to pick you up now alright?”

 

The silver haired man’s voice rings clear like a soothing bell in his mind, and this time he manages to give a small nod.

 

“Okay. Good job Yuuri, you’re doing great. On the count of three.” The older man quickly readjusts his grip to throw one of Yuuri’s arms around his shoulders as he supports his back, and sweeps his other arm underneath his legs. “One, two, three.”

 

As Victor pushes up with his legs and takes on all of Yuuri’s weight, the injured man grits his teeth and lets out a pained cry.

 

“I know Yuuri… I know… I’m so sorry. It’s gonna hurt but we have to leave.”

 

The young man closes his eyes, using all of his strength to ignore the pain and grip tightly onto Victor’s shirt as they start to move. They head out of the small room, into the large basement, and up the stairs, each step jostling his broken bones and irritating the open wounds. Finally, they step out the front door and Yuuri gets a breath of fresh air, but the cool chill of the night makes the violent shivering return.

 

He hears Victor ask someone to place their cloak over top of him, and suddenly he is surrounded by warmth. It is hard not to fall asleep in the man’s arms, and he spends the rest of the trip clinging to the older man as much as he can. Unsure if he is finally allowed to sleep or not, he tries his best to focus on the pain keeping him awake, rather than on the immense comfort of being held so affectionately.

 

Yuuri doesn’t know how long it takes for them to reach safety, and he is pleasantly surprised when he feels himself being lowered down onto a soft mattress. He tries to think of how they got away, but he doesn’t remember leaving, going outside, or even being carried down any streets. He knows Victor was trying to keep him awake for some reason before, but they’re safe now, right? He’s been through so much today, he just wants to rest, and he can worry about everything else when he wakes up. When he is fully settled onto the nice, comfy, bed, his eyes close once more, barely registering that someone is loudly saying his name as he blacks out.


	21. The Night

 

_The crackling of fire is the only sound Yuuri can hear. He is laying down on his back, blindfolded, and with his arms and legs strapped to the table. It is eerily quiet, and his tears are silently soaking through the piece of fabric tied around his head._

_‘What is he going to do? When is it going to happen? Just get it over with… God… I can’t stand the anticipation, the dread… I’d rather die than go through this torment… Please, just kill me already…’_

_His quiet sobs echo in the basement as he painfully waits for whatever sadistically cruel punishment that is being prepared on the other side of his blindfold. He can feel his heart pounding in his throat, and he tries to swallow but his mouth is starting to get dry. Finally, he hears the sound of something metal coming from near the fireplace._

_‘Fuck. No. Please! Not again! No, no, no, no, no! Anything thing but that!’_

_His breathing becomes rampant as he imagines the look on the big, boss man’s face, and he somehow manages to cry even harder now that he knows what is about to happen. All too soon, he feels the heat radiating off of the predictably scorching hot metal, just above his exposed chest. The heated piece moves slowly up and down every inch of his skin, hovering over his body ever so slightly, but it keeps its distance for the time being, just enough that the only sensation he can make out is the small tingle of warmth radiating from the source._

_Chilled to the bone, any person in a normal situation would flock to their only saving grace, desperate to reach out and absorb as much of the heat as they can, but Yuuri learned his lesson. Suddenly, the item is withdrawn, and the waiting game continues, except this time it doesn’t last long. Without any warning, a concentrated source of blazing steel sears the small amount of skin and muscle directly over his right hip. His scream is immediate, and he tries not to shift under the weapon for as long as he can until it is pulled away. His tears are pouring out of the damp fabric, and as his mind has no other choice but to focus on the newest source of pain, he can tell that the burn is different from when the man used the blade before. Instead of slicing him open with the knife, this sensation is broader, like he is using a metal rod or the flat edge of the blade as a substitute._

_Before Yuuri can think too much about it, the sweltering heat returns, and this time he can’t help but scream and try to roll away. As he tries to escape the agonizing heat, hands quickly grab his shoulders to force him down, but that doesn’t stop him from sobbing and thrashing around on the table._

“Let me go! Let me go!” He screams.

 

He thinks he hears someone yelling his name, but he needs to get away. He can’t bear the pain any longer, he needs to try and escape this hellish torture.

 

“Don’t touch me!” He shrieks, as his weak body violently flails around in a pathetic attempt to get away from the strong hands easily pinning him down. “Let go of me!”

 

The grip on his shoulders tightens, and they force him to lie back down as he chokes out a sob. During another desperate session of thrashing, an unexpected weight bears straight down on his hips, making him yell out in pain. Everything hurts, and his rapid movements introduce the familiar sting of pain all over his body from old wounds and new. The throbbing ache cuts through his mind, overpowering his reflexes and adrenaline, and it gradually makes him lay still and accept his fate, heaving pained breaths and letting his tears of defeat fall.

 

“Open your eyes.”

 

He doesn’t want to. He doesn’t want to open them just to see the darkness of a blindfold, and he sure as hell doesn’t want to open them just to look back into those soulless, dark eyes, staring down at him while he has no other choice but to watch. The hands holding his shoulders slide over in order to gently cup his cheeks, and he feels the gross sensation of fingers and thumbs gliding across his face, only forcing him to cry harder.

 

“P-please… I don’t want this…” He manages to choke out.

 

“Yuuri…” The voice is softer now, and it sounds like they are almost sad. “Please… open your eyes.”

 

Giving up entirely, Yuuri finally lets his last thread of dignity break away. Reluctantly relaxing all of the muscles in his face that were causing him to squeeze his eyes tightly shut, he peeks through a small crack before submitting fully, eventually blinking his eyes wide open. As they adjust to the dim light, the first thing he can see is Victor, staring down at him from above, fear and concern dampening his expression. The barest hint of moonlight is shining through a window, and it makes the man’s bright, blue eyes sparkle like diamonds. It is only after he gazes up at the beautiful vision that Yuuri realizes the leader is no longer here, but he finds it hard to believe.

 

“V-victor?” He stammers out, voice barely above a breath.

 

His eyes are now as wide as saucers as he attempts to absorb every detail of the man above him, just in case this is all a dream. When he tries to swallow, his throat greatly resists from the lack of moisture, making the sandpaper-like feeling even more prominent as it scratches down his esophagus.

 

_‘This can’t be real…’_

 

The older man gives him a pained smile, and at the same time, tears begin to prick at the corner of those crystal blue eyes.

 

“Hi…” Victor whispers.

 

Yuuri’s own eyes widen even more.

 

_‘This isn’t real…’_

 

Once again he can feel the familiar sting of shimmering tears as he continues to stare in disbelief.

_‘My mind must be trying to retreat into a safe place… I’m still trapped in that basement… Hallucinating… Dreaming… Any minute that man is going to come back and wake me up…’_

“Yuuri?”

 

There’s that beautiful sound again. Victor’s voice is laced with worry, and the young man is frozen beneath him, unable to respond. His mouth gapes open, but no words make their way out, and his mind continues to fill with uncertainty.

 

The older man’s face falls more and more with every second of silence, and he must see the panic starting to reemerge in the other’s eyes.

 

“Yuuri… it’s okay, you’re safe.”

 

This finally garners a response, but the young man just shakes his head, pressing his lips together tightly as he tries to hold back a sob. His eyes start darting around, desperate to find something that will prove this is just a fantasy.

 

“Yuuri look at me.”

 

Those are the only words he needs to hear before his attention snaps straight toward Victor. Chocolate eyes filled with fear and panic are assessed by bright pools of apprehension and sympathy.

 

“You’re okay… Everything’s alright... We made sure that those men will never hurt you again.”

 

The soft cadence of the man’s voice is reassuring, and Yuuri puts all of his faith and trust into the familiar man’s words, praying to god that this isn’t some kind of sick joke. Without breaking eye contact, he slowly nods.

 

“Are you doing okay?”

 

He blinks as he tries to assess how he feels both mentally and physically, and in the process of doing so, he briefly glances around the room in order to orient himself in his surroundings. He stops staring at the man above him, and realizes that he is in a bed, with the covers thrown off somewhere onto the floor. His feet seem to be elevated on some sort of pillow, and the older man is kneeling above him, knees on either side of his hips and hands still gently wiping at the tracks of tears streaming down his cheeks.

 

_‘Oh… I’m crying…’_

The next thing he notices is that the room is completely different than what he remembers, it’s much smaller, with only one full size bed, new décor, a small bedside table, and a chair and dresser sitting off to the side.

 

“W-where are we?” He murmurs, eyes still flickering from wall to wall.   

 

The older man leans back and shifts his position so that he is sitting on the edge of the bed rather than on top of him. “We’re at a hotel.”

 

He turns back in order to face the older man, and just before he is about to ask another question, a long, slender finger is placed over his lips.

 

“Don’t speak. We can talk about everything later. Right now you need to rest.”

 

Yuuri pauses, nodding as he tries to think of how they got here, but Victor’s restriction on his speech suddenly makes him hyperaware of the desert that is his mouth and throat, and he looks back at the man waiting patiently by his side.

 

“Water?” He rasps out.

 

“I’ll get you a glass.”

 

Victor quickly stands up from the bed and moves over to the dresser, which Yuuri only now notices has two jugs and a cup sitting on top. The man pours a full glass before returning and looking questioningly at Yuuri’s form.

 

“Are you able to sit up?” He cautiously asks.

 

The question confuses Yuuri. He concentrates on the dull ache still pulsating through his body, but it doesn’t seem too bad.

 

_‘Why wouldn’t I be able to sit up?’_

Without hesitation, he maneuvers his arms to his sides so that he can push off of the bed and lean forward, but as soon as he puts any weight on them, a searing pain shoots through his limbs and stomach. He cries out as he immediately sinks back onto the bed, and more tears start rushing down his face. Looking down, he finally notices his entire body is wrapped in bandages, some of which have dark spots seeping through, and for the first time since he woke up, he tries to remember everything that happened during his kidnapping.

 

It is like a switch is flipped as soon as he acknowledges the existence of his injuries. The dark dungeon, the table, the fireplace… Knives, beatings, brandings, blindfolds, chains, whips, and of course, that horrible sadistic man. Tears start to steadily pour from his eyes as he thinks of it all, and he carefully lifts his arms up to his face to cover up his sobs.

 

The man sitting beside him is dead silent, and Yuuri can hear him as he sets the water down on the bedside table before placing a reassuring hand on the young man’s thigh. After a few minutes of crying, Victor finally speaks up.

 

“Yuuri…”

 

The man is so quiet and soft spoken, he quickly tries to quiet his sniffling in order to hear him better.

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

_‘What!?’_

 

Yuuri quickly removes his hands from his face in order to look at the older man, who now has his head bowed down low, chin against his chest, as glistening tears fall into his lap. Slowly, he reaches over to grab Victor’s hand that is clenching the bed sheets by his side.

 

“Victor…” He sniffles.

 

Yuuri waits until he finally looks up and into his twinkling brown eyes.

 

“Thank you…”

 

There is so much more he wants to say if all of this is real, but before he can, both of their faces contort into odd mixes of joy, relief, guilt, and sorrow, as they simultaneously start crying once more, squeezing each other’s hand for support and comfort. Eventually, Victor’s gaze moves back to the cup of water still sitting on the table, and he uses his arm to wipe away his tears before glancing back at Yuuri with an uncertain look.

 

“Will you let me help you?”

 

“I don’t think I have much of a choice.” He croaks out.

 

The older man huffs out a laugh, obviously glad to see that he still has a sense of humor, and Victor picks up the glass once more, carefully slipping his hand behind Yuuri’s head. The young man winces in pain, and at the same time he suddenly remembers receiving a sharp blow to the back of his skull at some point.

 

“Sorry…” The man mutters, but he continues to gently tilt his head up until the water can slide down his throat.

 

As soon as the cool, refreshing liquid touches his lips, he realizes just how parched he really is, and Victor has to go grab one of the jugs so that he can slowly work his way through another six glasses before he is satisfied.

 

“You should get some more sleep.” The man says, standing to place the empty pitcher and glass back on the dresser. “And try not to speak unless you need to, okay? Your voice will come back quicker.”

 

Yuuri nods and carefully shuffles back onto his pillow, while the other man picks up his blankets of the floor. Victor gently drapes a thin sheet over top of him before adding a heavier blanket to keep him warm, tucking them both in around the young man.

 

“Are you comfortable?” He asks.

 

Yuuri nods.

 

“Do you need anything?”

 

Yuuri shakes his head.

 

“Okay…” He responds, shifting back and forth on his feet. “Well, sleep well...”

 

Victor looks conflicted as he turns to make his leave, but as soon as the door is opened and he is stepping out into the hall, a crushing weight collapses in Yuuri’s mind, and he begins to panic.

 

_‘What if this is it? What if I’m about to wake up again in the basement? What if this is a dream and this is the last time I’ll see Victor? Even if this is just a figment of my imagination I can’t just let him walk away like this!’_

 

“W-wait!”

 

The loud sound scratching its way through his throat burns, but as soon as the noise leaves his mouth, the silver haired man quickly reenters the room and sits back on the side of the bed. A hand reaches to brush his messy hair out of his face and the older man has extreme worry written across his face as plain as day.

 

“What’s wrong?” He quickly asks. “Do you need something? Are you okay?”

 

Yuuri immediately looks down towards his feet, trying his best to quell the rising fear clenching around his heart as he builds up a rapidly fleeting wave of courage.

 

“W-would you stay? I… I just don’t want to be alone…”

 

A look of sympathy fills Victor’s face, and a small smile quirks his lip. “Of course Yuuri.” He says in a low voice, intently staring down at the man lying beneath him.

 

The simple answer effectively eases some of the tension the smaller man’s mind, and Victor wastes no time as he stands up to walk around to the other half of the bed. Pulling back the covers, he quickly slides in before turning onto his side to see Yuuri, and the young man already has his own face tilted to the side in order to stare right back. Victor places his hand in the space between them, palm up in an invitation, and it only takes a moment for his own, chilled, fragile hand, to reach up and slip in between his, giving it a light squeeze before guiding their hands under the covers to rest comfortably.

 

“Now get some rest.” Victor whispers.

 

Yuuri nods and gives his hand one last reassuring press before closing his eyes.

 

“Thank you.” He whispers into the dark.

 

If this is the end for him, he can at least be happy that he was able to see Victor one last time, and as he holds onto that one lingering thought, his breathing soon becomes slow and rhythmic, as he drifts off into unconsciousness once more.

 

* * *

 

 

Victor watches the young man as he quickly nods off right in front of him, honored that he of all people was asked to stay. He was reluctant to leave Yuuri by himself in the first place after what happened, but Otabek said that he probably wouldn’t wake up until tomorrow anyway. And yet, low and behold, as soon as he heard screaming across the hall earlier, he never wanted to leave the man alone again.

 

But that is just one of the reasons why he is eternally grateful that Yuuri reached out and asked him to stay. Now as they lay there together in the dark, he strokes his thumb over the smooth expanse of Yuuri’s hand, thinking about everything that has happened in the past week. Ever since the man before him fell into his life, he’s not sure if he can ever let go, and after this incident, he doesn’t even want to let him out of his sight.

 

Ironically, he soon finds himself closing his eyes, taking a deep breath in before exhaling and releasing all of the tension in his body. He focuses on the small point of contact between the two of them, and gradually allows himself to fall into a dreamless sleep beside who he officially deems is one of the bravest men on the planet.


	22. Aftermath

Yuuri is confused. His head is pounding and he suspects that his body is trying to kill him. Everything feels warm, too warm, and he’s pretty sure there is a blanket over top of him but he can’t find the strength to open his eyes and check. As he tries to move his arm, his body doesn’t respond. He tries again, and yet he still can’t register whether or not his muscles are actually following the instructions his brain is trying to give. He can tell that his arms and legs are freezing, but his torso and head feel like they were left out in the sun on a hot summer’s day.

 

_‘What’s going on?’_

 

Trying to focus, he notices how shallow and pained his breathing is, and how numerous different spots along his body have a burning ache, like they are being stung by a hundred bees that never stop. It is then that he starts to hear muffled voices coming from somewhere nearby, but his mind is too foggy to pick up the majority of the words or who the voices belong to.

 

“…you need to understand…”

 

“…we can’t do that…”

 

“…can’t stay here…”

 

“…on the road…”

 

“…hypovolemic shock…”

 

"...nightmare..."

 

“…running out of…”

 

“…not the only thing…”

 

“…anything…”

 

“…potentially fatal…”

 

“… I have to…”

 

 _‘Is something wrong?’_ He thinks.

 

The pieces of conversation are too disjointed to understand the situation, and the last thing he recollects has something to do with Victor, but he doesn’t remember anything else. The only thing he suspects is that he is currently laying down in some kind of bed, and he could easily verify that if he could only just open his eyes. Suddenly, a hot flash overcomes his entire body, and he involuntarily groans. He hears a door open and senses the weight of someone sitting next to him. A cool hand presses against his forehead, and he relishes in the refreshing change away from all of the heat. All too soon it is moved away, and replaced with something cold and damp, which feels even better. Next he feels a pressure on his hand, and smooth, long digits, slide in between his own. He wants to squeeze, just to let whoever is there know that he’s at least semi-conscious, but his fingers feel too weak, and his muscles aren’t responding to his will.

 

A second set of footsteps enter the room, and Yuuri receives no warning before the hand is gone and both people walk away, closing the door behind them. All too soon he is alone again, and the mere thought makes him want to shout, yell, or scream, anything that will make someone come back for him. He still has no clue what’s going on, and he feels incredibly weak and fragile, like his own body is trying to kill him.

 

Unfortunately, it is during these times when he is all by himself, and with no one around to reassure him that he will be okay, that his mind starts to panic. His shallow breathing rapidly increases until his body feels as if it might collapse in on itself, and almost mercifully, his state of distress cause his damaged body to react, quickly forcing his mind back into unconsciousness.

 

* * *

 

 

Slowly but surely, Victor starts to wake up due to the sun shining straight onto his face, and the first thing he registers is Yuuri’s hand still entwined with his own. It still feels as cold as it did last night, but just the thought of the small gesture makes him smile. He opens his eyes to look over at the young man beside him, but that is when he notices something is wrong. The man’s breathing is rapid and incredibly shallow, and Victor can see droplets of sweat dotting his brow. He gently releases his hand and gets up to move closer, placing the back of his hand on Yuuri's forehead in order to gauge his temperature. As if he was expecting a different outcome, Victor is taken aback when he feels the small patch of skin burning up, and yet in the morning light he can see that his lips are tinged a sickly blue. Scanning the man’s face, he notices the frantic movement of his eyes underneath his eyelids, and he can only hope that he is not having another nightmare as his body is already clearly suffering enough for the time being. Softly brushing his fingers across a clammy cheek, Victor places his other hand on Yuuri's shoulder so that he can carefully shake the young man awake.

 

“Yuuri…” He attempts, pausing his gentle movements to watch for any response.

 

Nothing.

 

“Yuuri.” He tries again, a little louder now and with a more deliberate shake.

 

Still nothing.

 

“Shit…”

 

Without a moment of hesitation, Victor quickly rolls off the bed, opens the door, and heads down the hall. The entire caravan relocated to a new hotel since the inn was compromised, and they didn’t want to risk bringing Yuuri back to somewhere where those bastards might find them, so they ended up here. This place is a little fancier than the hostel, and everyone either has their own room or is bunking with one other person, and that just means they have to spend more money for an indefinite amount of time, but Victor is fine with that. He couldn’t care less about the large sum of money being handed over for all of the rooms, or the gold embellished sconces lining the spacious hallways and illuminating the heavy oak doors. All he cares about right now is getting Yuuri the help he needs.

 

After what feels like an eternity, he finally reaches the room he needs. Continuing his rapid pace, he strides straight up to one of the doors at the opposite end of the hallway and begins to loudly knock. It doesn’t take long for a young man with dark hair and an undercut to open up, and he wastes no time with pleasantries.

 

“Something is wrong with Yuuri.”

 

Otabek nods and goes back into his room for a brief moment, grabbing his bag while Victor waits by the door. As soon as the young man is ready, the pair head over to check on Yuuri, and Victor gives them some space as the other begins performing what seems to be a routine checkup and evaluation. The first thing the young doctor does, is take out a thermometer from his bag and place it under the man’s tongue, and then he proceeds to check his pulse. Victor watches as Otabek then removes the blanket covering the multiple injuries on the Yuuri’s body, and starts unwrapping some of the bandages encasing the wounds. He quickly rewraps some, but for others, he needs to apply a clumpy, green, paste, that he takes out of his small bag. Only a few distressing minutes pass before Otabek completes that portion of his work, and he removes the thermometer in order to check the young man’s body temperature. As he stares intently at the small tube, the doctor reveals nothing in his consistently straight faced expression, but soon he turns around and nods towards the hallway, and Victor immediately steps out behind the other man and closes the door.

 

“What’s wrong with him?” Once again, Victor wastes no time with formalities.

 

“It would appear that some of his injuries have become infected, and it’s obviously taking a heavy toll on his body.”

 

The older man appreciates Otabek’s blunt response.

 

“So what are we supposed to do? Will that cream be enough to help?”

 

 **“** It will, but only to an extent.”

 

Victor’s small glimmer of hope is quickly crushed, and his face falls. “What do you mean? Don’t you practice medicine?”

 

“I do, but you need to understand, I only have limited supplies available to me at the moment. I did what I could for now, but without proper treatment he might not make it. With that being said, I strongly suggest we take him to a fully equipped doctor. **”**

“We can’t do that.” Victor immediately replies, making the other man raise an eyebrow.

 

“And why not?”

 

“It’s complicated…”

**“** Well he can’t stay here. He needs serious medical attention. **”**

“Isn’t there anything that you can do? **”** Victor pleads. “Even if I agreed to take him to a certified doctor, he is in no condition to be on the road. What would it take for you to treat him here?”

Otabek sighs. “Without the appropriate materials I can’t exactly be much help beyond what I’ve already done, and the infections obviously aren’t helping with his initial recovery from the hypovolemic shock either.”

Victor’s brow furrows together. “Hypervelmic what?”

 

“Hypovolemic shock. Basically, Yuuri has lost a lot of blood, and it’s why last night he was fading in and out of consciousness so easily. It also explains his rapid, shallow breathing, weak pulse, and why parts of his body are so cold that his lips are turning blue. The infection is what’s causing the sweating and his core temperature to heat up, because he is attempting to fight off the pathogens in his body with what little resources he has left.”

 

“But his hands feel so cold?”

 

“That’s only because what little blood he has left is pooling in his core, keeping his organs alive and sacrificing his limbs because they aren’t as important. It’s why I propped up his legs last night, to help concentrate his blood flow in the most essential areas in order to be proactive in preventing organ failure and ultimately death.”

Victor’s heart feels like it is about to stop. If the man says anything more about how Yuuri could die, after everything they did to get him back, he’s going to lose it.

 

“But he seemed fine last night.”

 

“Last night?”

 

Victor nods. “Sometime during the early hours of the morning I heard screaming across the hall and came to check on him. He was having a nightmare, and after he woke up he didn’t believe he was actually safe. Once he calmed down he seemed okay, but it was dark in the room so I couldn’t get a good look at him. I was able to help him drink some water before we both went back to sleep though.”

 

Otabek hums at the new information. “The infection must have started causing havoc after he fell back asleep then, and that’s why the symptoms weren’t as prominent last night. At least this gives us a time frame to work with.”

“So what do we do?”

**“** I can’t say much for certain, but I know that if you insist on keeping him here and letting me treat him, then we’re running out of time.”

 

 The spark of optimism reignites in the older man. “So you’ll help him?”

 

“Yes. But I’ll need someone to go fetch supplies.”

 

“Just let me know what you need and we’ll get it.”

 

Otabek solemnly nods. “However, that’s not the only thing… Before we proceed, I need you to tell me something.”

“Anything.” He easily responds. If there is something the man needs or wants in order to save Yuuri’s life he will gladly offer it.

“I need you to tell me everything you know about Yuuri.”

 

Victor hesitates. “Why do you need to know everything?”

 

“Let’s just say certain people may react poorly to specific remedies…”

 

A moment of silence passes between the two men, both of them understanding the underlying connotation of Otabek’s words. Victor doesn’t want to betray Yuuri’s trust, but if he wants the man to live, he’s going to have to say something.

 

Brief hesitation and conflict cross the man’s face before he speaks.

 

“Fine.” He abruptly replies. “The answer is yes.”

 

“Very well.” There is no change in the young doctor’s expression, and so it is hard to tell how he feels about the unconscious man’s secret identity. “Thank you for trusting me. I promise I will do everything in my power to save him.”

 

Victor nods, and he opens his mouth to say something but starts to reconsider. It won’t be physically helpful in any way, but it is something that he needs to know. Trying not to think too much, he decides to reassure himself and ask anyway.

 

“What would’ve happened…? If I didn’t say anything…”

 

A flash of sympathy flickers across the quiet man’s face. “I understand why you’re conflicted over telling me, but I’ll reassure you by saying that if I didn’t know, using the wrong medication would be potentially fatal.”

The older man swallows. “Just promise me that you won’t say anything…”

 

The suggested ‘or else’ goes unsaid, but Otabek receives the message loud and clear and gives a curt nod.

**“** I have already failed in keeping my promise to him once, and I have to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

 

“I understand.”

 

A muffled groan through the heavy door catches their attention, and Victor is quick to enter the room and place himself by Yuuri’s side. The young man looks pale. His sweating hasn’t ceased and his brow is now furrowed in pain. The silver haired man places a palm on the man’s creased forehead, brushing back a few stray hairs and wishing he could do something to ease the obvious distress.

 

Suddenly, the older man gets an idea, and he quickly steps away to grab a towel from the top drawer of the dresser. Pouring some cool water on the fabric from the remaining full jug that was left over from last night, he wrings out the small towel before placing it on Yuuri’s forehead. The man seems to slightly relax, obviously still sickly, but in Victor’s eyes, a tiny bit less so. Thinking back to the night before, he slides his hand down until he is able to hold onto the other man’s, hoping that he can convey a sense of comfort and safety through the connection.

 

All too soon, Otabek walks back into the room, placing a hand on Victor’s shoulder as he looks back to meet his eye. The man tilts his head in the direction of the hallway, and he immediately understands that they still have more to discuss. Reluctantly, he releases Yuuri’s clammy hand, and steps back outside.

 

"How soon can everyone gather together for a meeting?” Otabek asks.

 

“Give me five minutes.”


	23. Preparation

No one dares to speak a word as Victor comes around, jostling them from their sleep in the early morning. The concern on his face is obvious, and the added authoritative tone he uses is enough that everyone immediately gathers in the captain’s room for a meeting. Otabek and Victor quickly deliver a small speech, outlining the situation and instructing everyone to go out in pairs to locate certain items from the forest or farmer’s market that they will need.

 

The bunk mates end up sticking together. Of course Mila and Sara are partners, as if anyone could expect any different, and then there’s Phichit and Chris, and finally Seung-gil and Georgi. Meanwhile, the other Yuri reluctantly heads out after a short argument with his friend in order to retrieve some of Otabek’s own personal medicines that they have stashed at their house. With everyone now scouring the city for their assigned materials, this leaves Otabek and Victor to stay and watch over Yuuri, which is not very hard considering he still hasn’t woken up since his episode last night.

 

The odd pair is currently sitting and watching over the young man in his room. Utterly encompassed in complete silence, and waiting for the others to return with the herbs and tools they need to treat the man’s injuries and infections. Victor is perched in his spot on the edge of the bed, clasping one of Yuuri’s hands between his own, and gently stroking his fingers along the cool skin. He stares down at the fragile man, hands settled in his lap and face set in deep contemplation. Unable to constantly sit still just waiting for something to happen, every now and again he takes the damp cloth off of Yuuri’s forehead and rinses it off in the bowl he brought up for that exact purpose before replacing it. Otabek on the other hand, has taken up residence in the room’s only armchair, where he sits quietly reading a book, seemingly content with whatever entertainment the words on the pages provide for the time being.

 

An hour passes by with nothing more than a look shared between the two men. With Yuuri teetering on the edge of life and death, Victor can’t help but grow more impatient as the time slowly ticks by. In his opinion, Otabek’s demeanor is way too nonchalant for their current predicament, but he knows that if he brings it up, he’d be risking an argument and their only hope at saving Yuuri, so he keeps his mouth shut. Instead, he attempts to occupy himself by diverting his attention as well as his gaze between Yuuri, Otabek, the clock, and the door. He counts the seconds in his head hoping that it will help keep his mind busy, and mercifully, only another half hour rolls by before a gentle knock echoes through the door. Without needing to get up from their spots, the entrance slowly creaks open before a head with fiery red hair pops into view.

 

“How’s he doing?” Mila asks, as she tentatively steps into the room, followed closely by Sara.

 

Both ladies wear a look of worry on their faces, and Victor and Otabek stop what they’re doing in order to turn their attention towards the two women.

 

Victor frowns, unconsciously tightening his grip on the young man’s hand. “Not so good I’m afraid…”

 

“Did you find everything alright?” Otabek inquires, interrupting the grim conversation.

 

“Yeah.” Sara begins, walking toward the strange man and holding out a basket filled with tools. “Most of it was easy to find in the general store or around the city.”

 

Otabek nods and accepts the supplies. He starts to unpack the basket, carefully laying the items out on the table, scrutinizing each one before moving on to the next. Victor watches as the man pulls out a mortar and pestle, scissors, some heavy thread, pliers, a couple of sponges, fresh bandages, and what almost looks like a fish hook. Just as he finishes setting the last item down another knock at the door makes everyone turn. Chris and Phichit stand in the doorway, obviously just having returned from the market as well. Each of them have a bundle of plants to offer to Otabek, and Victor quickly recognizes two species as mint and sage, while the last is a bushel of lavender flowers.

 

“What are the flowers for?” He asks.

 

“They’re called sweet violet.” Otabek answers, grabbing the plants from the two men. “When you make them into a tea they are very effective at relieving muscle and body pain. Once he wakes up he’ll be happy to have it.”

 

Everyone around the room just nods. No one in their little group has much first aid knowledge, especially when it comes to local herbs and plants, and unfortunately that also means they’re going to have to put all of their faith into a stranger they met less than twenty four hours ago. However, considering they can’t go to a real doctor, since Otabek claims that he knows what he is doing, and since Yuuri’s life depends on it, they don’t really have any other option but to trust him.

 

 _‘Maybe it won’t be such a bad thing now that he and Yuri are going to join us on the road…’_ Victor thinks to himself. _‘We could use a medic…’_

 

That is still something he has yet to inform the group about. Chris obviously knows, he was there when they made the arrangement after all, but the others were simply introduced to the two new men with a passing glance before they were off to save Yuuri.

 

_‘I hope they don’t get too mad we didn’t talk about it, but I’m sure they’ll understand...’_

“I think we’re going to go wait in another room for the time being…” Mila says, breaking his train of thought. “There’s no point in all of us crowding around at the moment.”

 

“I think that’s a good idea.” Chris agrees. “Call us if you need anything.”

 

Victor gives everyone a small smile. “Will do. Thanks everyone.”

 

The four members give a slight wave before shuffling out the door and down the hall, leaving the doctor and the captain alone together once again. Victor immediately turns back and resumes drawing soothing patterns across Yuuri’s unresponsive hand, and Otabek starts prepping some of the plants he was given. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see that the young doctor is using the mortar and pestle to crush some of the sage into a thick paste, adding a little bit of water along the way in order to moisten the mix.

 

“What are you going to use that for?”

 

The question flies out of Victor’s mouth before he can even think otherwise, but he can’t bring himself to care. He wants to know everything that the man is going to do, partly for reassurance that he truly does know what he’s doing, and partly to keep his mind busy.

 

“Sage is well known in the medicinal world.” Otabek responds, eyes expertly focused on his work as he answers the question. “Not only does it fight colds, reduce inflammation, and decrease swelling, which will all come in handy, but it also kills bacteria and can act as a salve for cuts and burns.”

 

Victor’s eyebrows raise, and he can’t help but think that the man sounds like he’s reading from a textbook. “Wow… And what about the mint?”

 

“That’s another one that will come in handy when he wakes up. Mint is incredibly adept at soothing headaches, reducing nausea, and it is a great antiviral for colds and the flu.”

 

Another polished answer.

 

“How do you know so much about medicine?” He continues to pry, as he watches the other man move towards the bed, mortar in hand.

 

Otabek places the small bowl on the bed and looks up at the other man, who quickly moves to get out of the way, sadly dropping Yuuri’s hand in the process.

 

“My mother and father were the resident doctors in the small town that I grew up in.” He replies, voice steady and his movements effortless as he draws back the blankets and starts unwrapping some of the bandages. “I am an only child, so when I was old enough, they started teaching me everything they knew so that one day I could help them run the business.”

 

Once several bandages are removed, Otabek grabs a towel and starts wiping off the old paste he applied earlier in the morning. “My mother was a very intelligent woman, and she had catalogued every plant or natural remedy she could find in a large, worn down book that she carried with her to every appointment. She believed that a pure medicine was the best medicine, and the first time she told me that I couldn’t help but ask her why…”

 

After cleaning up the residue, he begins coating the minor cuts and burns that are not infected with the fresh sage ointment. “She told me that it’s because she wants to help everyone. My mother was a very kind, loving, sympathetic, and empathetic woman, and it’s because of that that she felt obligated to help not only the human race, but magicians as well.”

 

Victor sucks in a breath, he should have known there was a reason for his benign acceptance of Yuuri’s status earlier. His eyes never leave the man as he continues telling his story, watching his every move as he works and listening closely to each word that falls from his lips.

 

“When I told you earlier that the consequences could be dire if I use the wrong medicine, I wasn’t exaggerating.” Finished with the paste, he begins to wrap up the young man’s body once more. “One of the first things I learned from my mother was that magicians react poorly to complicated or manufactured medicines. We never figured out why, but something causes their bodies to reject most artificial remedies, and sadly it happened three times before we learned that the hard way. Once we pieced it together, we always had to know if someone was able to use the quick concoctions you can buy at a store or if we needed to go gather some natural remedies from the forest.”

 

He leaves the large infected wounds open to the air for the time being as he places the rest of the paste back down on the table. “As for my father, he handled the more physical aspect of the job, and he taught me how to perform basic stitching and minor surgeries. And that’s how I got to where I am today, well acquainted with both sides of medicine.”

 

Victor is in awe. He never knew one man could know so much and have so much potential, and yet be living in some back alley shack with an infamous thief. Stepping back towards the bed, the older man looks down and eyes the deep, gnarly, gashes, which are currently threatening Yuuri’s life. Otabek is busy cleaning the rest of the sage out of the mortar, and he takes a moment to let everything settle in his mid.

 

Unable to help himself, he continues to stare down at the feverish man as he quietly continues his inquiries.

 

“Do you think you’ll be able to save him?”

 

Otabek glances over, and it must be easy to see how vulnerable the older man feels just by giving him a brief look. At this point, all of his confidence from the night before and urgency from this morning have washed away, leaving nothing but the bare bones of guilt and sorrow taking their place. Victor can see a slight hint of the young doctor’s unwavering mask falter ever so slightly, as he watches Otabek pressing his lips into a thin line before he gives an answer.

 

“I hope so.”

 

Just as Victor feels like he is about to burst into tears, they hear yelling coming from outside the room. Both men take a moment to look at each other before stepping out into the hall to see what all the commotion is about. As soon as they walk outside of the door, they see an infuriated Yuri stomping his way straight towards them. The young man shoves a mason jar filled with some kind of brown liquid into Otabek’s hands before growling, making his way to their room, and slamming the door behind him. Both men turn their heads to look back in the direction that Yuri originated from, and see a straight faced Seung-gil, as usual, Phichit with his hand clamped over his mouth suppressing a grin, and of course, Chris leaning against a door frame with a shit-eating grin. Mila, Sara, and Georgi have all poked their heads outside as well, obviously just as curious about the uproar.

 

Victor glares, annoyed that his loyal crew seem to be fooling around when Yuuri’s life is on the line. In the iciest tone he can muster, he addresses the small crowd.

 

“Are you done playing around? We’re kind of short on time here.”

 

The dutiful Seung-gil quickly paces over, stopping in front of them and holding out another basket full of green vegetation.

 

“Sorry sir. Here are the plants you requested.”

 

Otabek grabs the basket and nods. “Thank you. Now that we have everything, Victor, will you please assist me?”

 

“Of course.” The man quickly replies.

 

“And maybe pick one other person to help… and make sure they’re strong.”

 

Victor isn’t sure what to make of that statement, but he doesn’t question it as he turns his attention back down the hall.

 

“Chris.” He calls out, in a loud authoritative voice.

 

The man in question casually pushes himself off the wall and straightens his posture, immediately switching his demeanor from laid back to dead serious.

 

“You’re with me. Everyone else please be on standby in case we need anything.”

 

The two men quickly turn and head back into the room, and as Chris catches up he closes the door behind them. Otabek places the basket and jar next to his other supplies on top of the dresser in order to have more room, and he quickly starts preparing his tools for whatever is about to happen next.

 

“What do you need us to do?” The silver haired man immediately asks.

 

While pouring some of the brown liquid into a shallow tray, the young man starts placing the various tools in the fluid. “I’m going to need you both to listen carefully and follow every instruction I give you. Understand?”

 

The longtime friends are taken aback by the sudden change in Otabek’s demeanour. If he seemed serious and stoic before, it is as if he has now become the general of an army, with no room for all of the emotions that apparently previously flooded his voice.

 

After hesitating a moment they both respond. “Of course.”

 

Otabek is busy rolling up the sleeves of his white button up, and he starts to wash his hands in a bowl he set aside earlier. “Make sure that your clothing is out of the way and wash your hands thoroughly. He is already infected enough without us contaminating him even further. Once you’re done, I’m going to need you to hold down his arms and legs.”

 

Victor is shocked.

 

“What!?”

 

“We need to clean out the wounds as best as we can before we stitch them back up. The antiseptic alone is going to be painful as it burns through the bacteria, but combine that with the necessary scrubbing to remove external pathogens and the sensation will most likely wake him up. He will not be happy, he will not be fully cognizant, and no matter what he says or does, you need to keep holding him down. Understood?”

 

Their faces fall as they listen to the grim job yet to come, and they begin following the young man’s lead, rolling up their sleeves and washing their hands.

 

“Understood…” Both men mutter.

 

“Good. Once I’m finished initially cleaning the wounds I’m going to apply a combination of red clover, marjoram, and catnip, in order to treat the infection. One is for cleansing the blood, one is a powerful antibacterial disinfectant, and the last will help reduce the bleeding and swelling.”

 

Victor can only assume that the plants he is busy throwing into the mortar are the three he is referring to. As soon as he finishes cleaning himself up, he begins removing all of the blankets and pillows from the bed and discards them in a corner for the time being. The older man motions to Chris, and the two of them carefully move Yuuri so that he is closer towards the foot of the bed giving them more room to work with. Victor then climbs on top of the mattress and places himself above the unconscious man, resting on his knees as he grabs the man’s arms and brings them above his head.

 

_‘I don’t want to do this… I don’t want to hurt him…’_

Otabek steps up to the side of the bed, placing the small bowl filled with a new pink and green mixture on the bedside table. He walks back to all of his tools, expertly threading the stiff string through the small hook before tying it off and placing it back down in the tray for later. He selects a sponge that had been soaking in the fluid and grabs a pitcher of water, and with some final preparations, he seems ready to proceed.

 

“After I apply the cream, I’m going to need to rub it in, which is going to be a little less painful than the first round but it will still be quite uncomfortable. Since these injuries are deep, I am also going to need to stich them closed, and once that’s complete, I’ll put a temporary patch over top and we can flip him over to work on his back.”

 

The two men are dead silent, eyes wide as they listen carefully to the instructions spilling from the man’s mouth as if they had been rehearsed. They briefly share a glance between them, both terrified, but they know that this is something that they need to do.

 

“As I said before, I am going to need you two to keep a secure hold on him so that he doesn’t thrash around during the procedure. The less he moves, the quicker this will be. Oh, and if he wakes up, you need to make sure that you show confidence and reassure him. If he picks up on your scared emotions or expressions, he will start to panic. Since he has already lost enough blood, if he panics he is going to lose more, and that just means that there is a very good chance that he might die if that occurs, so we can’t let that happen no matter what. Any questions?”

 

Victor and Chris are absolutely traumatized. Their eyes are gaping as wide as their mouths, as they stare back at the man who has yet to make a move to begin. The information finally sinks in, and if it wasn’t obvious before, so does the fact that this is a life or death situation. They either succeed, or they don’t. There is no in between. Victor can feel tears prick at the corners of his eyes but he quickly blinks them back.

 

_‘No. This is not the time. No fear. No panic. Confidence. Confidence for Yuuri. Confidence in Yuuri. We can do this.’_

He looks over to his friend who has strengthened his resolve enough to stand at the foot of the bed, tightly grasping the man’s ankles and leaning forward, prepared to put all of his weight into the hold. He then looks down at the poor man underneath him, observing the details of the man’s face before he has to experience a new type of hell. Yuuri is still unconscious, not hearing a word that is being said. His sweating continues, eyes are shut tight, breathing shallow, and skin cold to the touch. The bruises on his face, torso, and arms, are already darkening to a mix of sickly yellow and deep purple. If they weren’t desperate, they wouldn’t need to do this, but they are, and so they must. He swallows hard before looking back to Otabek. The man is standing at the ready, sponge in one hand and a damp towel in the other, with the water, mortar, and bandages nearby on the table.

 

The three men share a look before Chris and Victor both nod and Otabek returns the gesture.

 

“Okay. Let’s begin.”


	24. Heal the Pain

Victor watches as Otabek approaches the unconscious Yuuri. He tightens his grip around the man’s wrists, pinning them above his head and slightly leaning forward to put more weight into the hold. Looking up, he can see Chris doing the same but around the ankles, and both of them wait silently in anticipation. The young doctor finally reaches down, placing the wet cloth down on one of the abrasions, gently trying to wipe away any immediate dirt and grime. Victor observes Yuuri’s face, seeing his brow slightly furrow as the man above him works. He wants to reach out and smooth away the pain, but he knows this is about to get a lot worse.

 

After finishing with the initial rinse of the three infections on his chest, arm, and stomach, Otabek places the cloth to the side, and lowers the sponge soaked in brown liquid down on one of the cuts. Victor quickly glances down to gauge a reaction, but the man’s expression still doesn’t change, that is, until Otabek finally starts scrubbing.

 

As soon as the doctor begins to move, Yuuri’s entire face distorts in agony. The raven haired man begins to yell out in pain and immediately tries to move his body away from the unpleasant contact. Victor is almost unprepared for the amount of force the young man is using to get away, but he quickly readjusts his grip and leans all of his weight down onto Yuuri’s arms. He can tell that Otabek is putting a good amount of strength into his movements, as the muscular young man’s entire body follows through with every stroke, and he and Chris are trying their best to stop the violent thrashing on the bed. Shouts and pleas asking them to stop start to fill the room, and all they can do is listen to the gut-wrenching sounds as the medic continues his work.

 

Time seems to move by much slower during the whole ordeal, but after a few painstakingly long minutes, Otabek briefly pauses to wipe down the area with the cloth, and Yuuri’s yells start to die down and mix with sobs. The young man slowly blinks his watery eyes open, and brown iris’ rapidly scatter around the room until they finally land on the blue eyes directly above him. Victor has to try his hardest not to loosen his hold in sympathy, because the poor man looks terrified.

 

Without breaking eye contact, Yuuri manages to choke out a shaky “W-why?”, before following it quickly with a sob.

 

Looking down at the broken man and hearing the desperation in his voice, forces Victor to remind himself that he needs to be strong and supportive. He tries his best to school his expression into something more reassuring and calm than what he was probably doing in the first place.

 

“It’s okay Yuuri. Everything is going to be okay. We need to clean out some of these scratches and then you’re going to be as good as new.”

 

The only response he gets is Yuuri slightly shaking his head as he closes his eyes and more tears trickle down his cheeks.

 

“I promise, you’re going to be okay. We just have to get through this tough part and then it will all be better. I’ll be right here for you the whole time.”

 

Victor is trying his best to put on a brave face and comfort the young man, but just as it looks like he might be calming down, Otabek begins to scrub once more. Another scream rips through the small room, and once again Yuuri tries his hardest to escape the two men holding him down, sobbing and yelling in pain. Agonizing moments pass for everyone before the harsh cleaning finally stops, and only the quiet whimpers and pained cries of the young man fill the space.

 

“I-It hurts…” Yuuri chokes out.

 

Victor’s heart feels like it’s going to break in two.

 

“I know... I know… But it will all be over soon…”

 

Yuuri winces, and Victor looks down to see Otabek applying the cream to the first clean wound. _‘That was only the first one?’_ He thinks to himself as he watches the man spread the balm. Quickly bringing his gaze back to stare into Yuuri’s eyes, he unconsciously starts running his thumbs over the man’s wrists.

 

“See Yuuri?” He tries to give a small smile. “That’s one already finished. You’re doing so well, just hang in there.”

 

“V-victor… I– I can’t…”

 

“Yes, you can.” Victor is quick to assure. “Once this is all over the only thing you have to worry about is sleeping, and when you wake up everything will be back to normal, okay?”

 

He is not sure if the words are making it through, but Victor thinks that he sees a slight nod and so he keeps rambling and drawing the young man’s attention, hoping that his voice is enough to provide some comfort. He watches as Otabek grabs the set of pliers along with the needle and thread and starts proficiently closing up the first wound, and he convinces himself that his weak attempt at a distraction is at least mildly working. Yuuri whines and tries to shift every now and again, but Victor makes sure to hold on a little tighter and tries to shift his focus away from the pain.

 

The doctor quickly finishes with the first set of sutures, and he proceeds to grab a new cloth and sponge for the next round. Victor’s apprehension only grows for the helpless man beneath him, since he knows exactly what is about to happen.

 

“Okay Yuuri, we’re going to have to do that again. I know it hurts, but I’m right here for you. Just try to stay calm.”

 

The young man’s eyes shimmer, obviously listening to Victor and clearly understanding that more pain is about to happen, and so he continues to ramble until Yuuri attempts to give a small shaky nod. Not even a second later Otabek is back at it, working on infection number two. Yuuri still yells and tries to move away, but this time Victor doesn’t stop talking.

 

During the second round of cleaning, Yuuri’s attempts at escape are obviously less enthusiastic than before. Victor makes sure to praise him on how well he’s doing, even though he notices that the young man is still crying like a waterfall, and biting his lip and cheek with what is most likely a little too much force.

 

As soon as Otabek stops the scrubbing, Victor starts to rub his thumbs against the small patches of skin once more. They work their way through the brief period of respite, which is still filled with pain but significantly less so. He adds as much care and affection into his voice and the small gesture as he can, attempting to soothe the process in any way possible.

 

Victor can’t even begin to imagine how painful this must be for Yuuri, and if he could, he would change places with the young man immediately. But that is impossible, and instead he is forced to live with the role he is given. As captain of the small but driven group of pro-magician misfits, it is his responsibility to take care of each and every member of his crew, but this is the worst situation he has dealt with since he left home in the first place, and he hates himself for letting it happen to Yuuri.

 

The next round continues in a very similar fashion, with Victor’s steady voice accompanying the brutal procedure. The poor, injured man, seems to be handling what’s happening a little bit better than before, and soon they are finished with the third installment and are temporarily wrapping his front so that they can turn him over. Yuuri’s entire body is obviously in some sort of constant pain, and so they do their best to quickly but gently roll him over onto the other side of the bed, with Otabek grabbing his supplies and walking around to continue from the other side.

 

This is the first time Victor is seeing the damage to the other half of the young man’s body, and he can barely believe his eyes as he stares down at long, deep, and what looks like deliberately placed cuts, all parallel to each other across his upper and lower back. Trailing his eyes across the damage, he can’t help but gape at the giant gash crossing over from Yuuri’s right shoulder down towards the middle of his back, splitting the skin like a canyon.

 

Now that Yuuri is laying down with his cheek pressed against the bedsheets, his face which is drenched with sweat and tears is now rapidly soaking through the linens. His breathing is ragged, and Victor finds he can’t resist the urge to brush his knuckles down the only pale cheek exposed to the air, attempting to provide more comfort as they proceed. However, as soon as the barest touch of his hand slides onto the man’s cheek, Yuuri flinches at the contact, closing his eyes and trying to turn further into the mattress.

 

“D-don’t…” The young man whimpers, unable to say more.

 

Victor quickly withdraws his hand.

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

The older man receives no other explanation except more tears dampening the sheets below, which would have been normal considering their situation, except this time, Yuuri cries in silence. Victor doesn’t dare try to force any other contact between the two of them, and he instead allows his mind run a mile a minute as he attempts to figure out why the young man doesn’t want his face to be touched. So far he has only been holding his hand or wrists, and that seems to be okay, but he also remembers that last night he cupped Yuuri’s face between his hands when he was having a nightmare.

 

_‘P-please… I don’t want this.’_

Shock starts to course through his body.

 

_‘Did they-’_

 

He doesn’t get any more time to think about the horrible possibilities, because Otabek is cleaning the final wound and Yuuri starts to cry out in pain. Setting his thoughts aside for later, he concentrates on the task at hand, pinning down the struggling man. He doesn’t speak as much this time, holding his tongue in fear that he might say something upsetting. A few long minutes pass listening to Yuuri’s cries before the doctor suddenly stops, and all of the wounds are finally clean. Otabek goes about applying the paste to all of the cuts he deems worthy before stitching up the major gash, and all the while Yuuri lays still beneath the working hands.

 

Victor is concerned for the young man, almost as much as when they first found him. Eventually they are going to need to talk about what happened to him in that basement, but for now, Yuuri needs to rest. Once Otabek finishes everything he set out to do, they roll the complacent man back across the bed and loosen the temporary covers over his stitches, allowing them to air out. The young medic quickly washes his hands, empties the bowl, and mashes up some mint, catnip, and an unknown third plant in the mortar. He mixes a good portion of the plant mix into a cup of water and brings it back over to the bed, handing it to Victor who is now sitting against the headboard and watching the man lying beside him.

 

“Get him to drink all of this before he passes out.”

 

Victor accepts the cup and nods, watching as Otabek turns away to start cleaning up before shifting so that he is now kneeling beside the young man. Yuuri’s eyes are closed, breathing labored, and he is clearly exhausted from having to go through so much pain once again. His skin still looks pale aside from some of the massive bruising, and more sweat is already pooling on his brow with every passing second.

 

“Yuuri.” Victor tries to keep his voice loud and clear, hoping to make the fragile man hear and understand him.

 

Yuuri cracks open his eyes, and he takes that as a cue to continue.

 

“You need to drink some medicine now.”

 

The man slowly blinks in response.

 

“I’m going to help you like I did last night, so all you have to do is swallow.”

 

Victor thinks he sees a small nod and so he continues to place a hand under the man’s head, gently lifting until he finds a suitable angle to start pouring the liquid into his mouth. Yuuri takes one sip before coughing, and Victor doesn’t blame him, even just the strong smell of mint wafting from the cup makes him want to gag.

 

“I know it’s not the best, but this is going to help make you feel better.”

 

Slowly but surely he continues to feed the concoction to a reluctant Yuuri, and eventually the glass is finally empty. Chris is helpful enough to supply a pillow as Victor lowers the man’s head, and his friend also returns to drape one of the blankets across the bed. The silver haired man scooches back against the headboard once again, looking down at the poor man who already passed out the moment his head touched the pillow.

 

The captain then turns his attention to Otabek, who is busy packing everything up and placing it in either the garbage or his bag. As soon as the young man finishes, he picks up his equipment and angles himself toward the door.

 

“Let me know if things seem to get worse, but he should be okay. The procedure went well, so I am optimistic that everything will be okay.”

 

The words cause Victor and Chris to let out a breath of relief. They didn’t expect the situation to become so dire, and helping the man with his work was a lot more intense than they expected.

 

“The drink you gave him might cause him to sweat a little bit more, but it should clear up the infection, break the fever, and help with any headaches, swelling, or bruising. I’ll prepare a batch of the sweet violet tea for when he wakes up, and he’ll be on mandatory bedrest for at least a week.”

 

The two men nod as Otabek starts heading towards the door to take his leave.

 

“Wait!”

 

Victor’s sudden shout makes the medic turn around, but the silver haired man quickly returns to scrutinizing Yuuri’s face rather than meeting his eye.

 

“Thank you…” He says timidly. “For everything… Yuuri probably would have died if you weren’t here to help…” Finally he raises his head in order to make eye contact, saying his next words with more confidence. “If there’s anything we can do for you, please just say the word. I know Yuri already requested that you travel with us once we leave town, but I feel like that isn’t enough for everything you’ve done for us.”

 

Otabek gives him a small smile, which is the first real emotion Victor thinks he’s seen on the young man’s face.

 

“It is in my blood to help those in need, but I appreciate the offer. If I do happen to think of anything I’ll let you know, but getting out of this town means more to Yuri than you know, and so that is thanks enough.”

 

With that, the young doctor finally turns and heads out the door, and Chris looks down at the poor boy lying unconscious once again, before moving his attention to his longtime friend. Victor props himself up with his back against the wooden frame of the bed and his head lolling forward, tilting his head to the side just enough so that he can watch Yuuri. The whole ordeal has obviously taken its toll on everybody, and now that the worst has passed, they can all get some rest, but Chris seems to know Victor too well.

 

“You know this isn’t your fault... You saved him too you know. If you weren’t so determined to cut a deal with a couple of strangers we would have never found him.”

 

Victor simply stays silent.

 

"Don't be too hard on yourself Vic, you know that he would say the same."

 

This makes the older man huff out a sad laugh. Victor does know. Yuuri told him as much last night when they were both crying as he apologized, and all the young man could say was thank you.

 

“You should get some rest.” Chris continues. 

 

Victor absently nods. “Thank you Chris…” He mumbles. “I really don’t know what I’d do without you.”

 

The man shrugs. "You'd probably be dead in a ditch somewhere… but that’s only if you made it out of your house on your own in the first place.”

 

This pulls a more genuine laugh from him, and he lifts his head to finally look at his best friend. “You’re probably right.”

 

“I’m gonna go back to my own room to finally sleep, did you need anything? I’m assuming you’re not planning on leaving this room anytime soon.”

 

“I think I’ll be okay. My room is just across the hall if I need any essentials, but for now, we all need a break.”

 

This time it is Chris’ turn to nod. “Alright. Once I wake up I’ll bring us some food, and I’ll let the others know how he’s doing before I turn in.”

 

Chris starts to move towards the door, opening it before taking one last look at the pair on the bed. Victor’s gaze has now returned to the young man beside him, and he lightly brushes the tips of his fingers along Yuuri’s brow, pushing away some of the stray hairs matted down by sweat. The sudden pause in movement causes the older man to look up towards the door, and he just manages to see the corner of Chris’ lip quirking up before the man takes his leave from the room.

 

It only takes a few moments of silence for Victor to start feeling the pull on his eyelids once the two are alone. Yuuri’s face seems to be more at ease than before, and that can only mean that something Otabek did must be helping. He feels the weight of his head dragging him down, and slowly his body follows its lead. The last thing he notices is the rhythmic rise and fall of Yuuri’s chest, as he effortlessly passes out.


	25. Recovery

The first thing Yuuri is aware of when his mind finally slips back into consciousness, is how his entire body feels like it has been run over by a stampede of angry bulls several times over. He groans as he starts to notice the throbbing aches and pains thundering through his muscles, and he can easily tell that he’s going to have a hard time moving. Taking a deep breath in, he immediately regrets the action as a sharp sting shoots through his right side, causing a small yelp to slip through his lips as he winces.

 

As his pained sounds fill the space, he suddenly feels someone shifting next to him, making him aware that he is lying down in a bed, and that must mean someone is next to him. He slowly cracks open each eye, squinting and blinking against the bright light filling the room. As his vision finally adjusts, he stares up at a white ceiling before slowly tilting his head to the left, letting his eyes fall upon a small dresser sitting below the window that the afternoon sun is shining through.

 

“Yuuri?”

 

The shuddering voice behind him pulls him from his quiet observation of his new surroundings, and he slowly turns his head once again, so that he can put a face to the sound. On the other half of the bed, he spies the silver hair and glacier eyes of Victor, who is laying down on his stomach, head raised, and arms pushing him slightly off the mattress. Even though he must know that his hair is mussed and sticking up at odd angles, the older man is looking at him with such apprehension and concern, that it makes Yuuri think that the Victor might start to cry any second.

 

“Victor?”

 

The sound of the man’s name flows off his lips like a familiar lullaby, instantly soothing the anxious feeling he didn’t even realize he was experiencing. The name seems to have the same effect on the other man, because as soon as the sound is registered, Victor breaks out into a wide grin, eyes sparkling as he quickly pushes himself fully off the bed to sit back on his knees.

 

“Yuuri!” Any trace of worry is wiped from the man’s presence as he gleefully shouts his name once more. “I was so worried about you! I’m so glad that you finally woke up!”

 

The young man can’t help but smile at the burst of enthusiasm, but as Victor’s words fully sink in, the fleeting happiness disappears as he furrows his brow.

 

_‘Finally woke up?’_

“You seemed okay after your nightmare the first night, so I thought you were going to get better, but you looked so sickly and pale in the morning, it made me so scared. We are lucky that Otabek is so knowledgeable about treating infections, considering the state that we found you in, but even then I still feel bad about causing you more pain…”

 

_‘Nightmare? Otabek? Causing me pain?’_

 

“Once the fever broke we thought you would’ve been conscious a lot sooner but it was like you were in a coma.”

 

The shock now coursing through his veins continues to grow with every word that the man says.

 

_‘Fever? A coma!?’_

Victor must finally register the look of horror and confusion he is displaying, because the man quickly stops rambling when he examines Yuuri’s face.

 

“Yuuri? Are you okay?”

 

The young man is busy scanning his memories for the last thing he knows to be true, wide brown eyes boring into the man sitting next to him. After a few moments, he draws a blank on his most recent memory, and so he reverses his tactic and begins from the start.

 

 _‘I left home with Victor, Chris, Phichit, Georgi, Mila, Sara, and Seung-gil. We made our way to Karnic. We checked into the inn… Victor and I went into town…’_ His memories start to come slower and slower the closer he gets to the present. _‘Phichit lost his trinket... I went outside… There was a basement… It was…”_

“Yuuri?” The man’s voice returns to its quiet tone, worry obviously laced in between the two syllables.

 

“It was dark…” He whispers. “You were here… and I… I was crying… Then you said you were sorry…”

 

As his voice trails off and his brow furrows once more, a look of understanding flickers across the older man’s face.

 

“You don’t remember…”

 

Yuuri gently gives a few small shakes of his head, still trying his hardest to recollect anything else.

 

Victor sighs, a somber look settling into place as he stares down at him with sorrow and sympathy.

 

"You were in bad shape... The men who took you… They–” Suddenly the older man stops, swallowing hard before he continues in a hushed tone. “They were not kind… I–… I  thought you were going to die…”

 

Yuuri can only lay there and watch as Victor has to recount the horrible situation they all had to experience. The man barely maintaining eye contact while he speaks, obviously struggling with having to retell his side of the story, and it only makes Yuuri feel worse.

 

“You passed out by the time we made it back here, and the new medic we found, Otabek, made sure to keep an eye on you for a little while to make sure you didn’t, well, you know… During the middle of the night after everyone had already retired to their rooms, I was jolted awake by screaming coming from across the hall. When I came to check on you, you were thrashing around in your bed and yelling at the top of your lungs. I eventually managed to wake you up, and we were able to have a little chat before I gave you some water and you fell back asleep. I’m not sure how much of that night you remember, but seeing you awake and talking, well it was the first time that I had a spark of hope that everything was going to be alright since you were taken...”

 

A small quirk of the man’s pink lips gives away the joy he must have felt when he woke up the first time, but the minor gleam quickly disappears like snow in the middle of summer. Victor’s eyes are now permanently glued to his fidgeting hands, and it is then that Yuuri notices how deathly quiet the room is when neither of them say a word. The older man seems to be hesitant about continuing his story, but they both know that Yuuri deserves to hear all of the details about what happened to him, no matter what they might be.

 

“The morning after we rescued you, I woke up and saw that during your sleep you developed some kind of sickness. Otabek came to check on you and he told me that some of the injuries you received had become infected… He said that you were going to die if we didn’t get you to a doctor…”

 

Once again Yuuri’s eyes widen, and the older man glances up to gauge his reaction, quickly realizing what he’s implying.

 

“I told him we couldn’t!” Victor rapidly reassures before switching back to a soft mumble. “I asked him to take care of you himself… but… in order for him to treat you properly he needed to know…”

 

Yuuri feels as though his world is spinning. He never could have imagined that leaving home would cause so many problems for him, for everyone, and in such a short amount of time.

 

“Before you get worked up about it, he’s vowed to keep your secret safe, and I promise that I will do everything in my power to keep it that way. But he needed to know… apparently magicians don’t mix well with modern medicine, and if the infection didn’t kill you, than that would.” Victor quickly adds, pausing to let all of the new information sink in. “I really am sorry Yuuri… for all of this…”

 

Yuuri is still lying frozen in bed, attempting to comprehend everything that had happened to him when he wasn’t even aware of it.

 

_‘I was going to die. Multiple times and for multiple reasons. I shouldn’t even be alive…My family would regret ever letting me leave home once they find out I could have been dead within the first week… I really am good for nothing… And now more people know my secret…’_

His thoughts continue to spiral as he shifts his gaze to stare at the ceiling, imagining the worst case scenario of everything that could have happened while he was unconscious. Eventually he reminds himself that he still doesn’t know the whole story, and so his brown eyes fall back over to the man staring at the floor beside him.

 

“Y-you said… I was in a coma?” He asks, voice fragile as tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

 

The cadence in his speech makes Victor look at him, and a flash of guilt colours the older man’s face before he attempts to give some kind of reassuring smile.

 

“Just a little one… I think your body was under so much stress that it made you sleep it off.” He says, before taking a deep breath in and sighing. “The procedure we did to clean out the infections was… intense…”

 

“How long was I out?”

 

The man’s lips press together, obviously reluctant to give an answer. “Two weeks?”

 

Yuuri sucks in a breath at the response. It’s not as bad as it could be, considering that it could have been years, but that is still two weeks of his life he’ll never get back.

 

‘ _Two weeks of everyone thinking I was going to die. Two weeks of my family not even knowing I was going to die. Two weeks of me, lying in this bed unconscious, because I’m too weak to fight back or save myself without magic...’_ The unwarranted, internal criticism is causing him to panic, and all it does is amplify his negative feelings. _‘Worthless… Pathetic… Helpless…’_

 

“I-I’m sorry…” Those are the only words he is able to choke out before the tears he is holding back begin sliding down his face.

 

He hates being such an inconvenience and a liability, and the more he thinks about how useless he is, the harder he cries. Victor’s face melts into a sorrowful expression, and he moves forward, reaching out to wipe the tears away, but he quickly draws his hand back to his side and drops his head.

 

“It’s not your fault Yuuri… If anything, I’m sorry for getting you mixed up in all this. You would’ve been fine if you stayed at home back in Hasu, or if I was more careful out in the market, or if I just paid closer attention you wouldn’t have gone outside alone in the first place. But none of this is your fault…” He takes a shaky breath in as he pauses. “I regret letting any of this ever happen to you… I understand if you don’t trust me anymore…”

 

The last few words catch Yuuri off guard, and he sniffles as he looks toward the other man for clarification.

 

“What?” He asks, managing to wipe away some of the wetness on his cheeks.

 

Victor balls his hands up in the sheets.

 

“I’m just saying…” His face begins to scrunch up, as if he’s preparing for something painful to happen. “After everything that has happened, I can accept that you probably don’t want to travel with us anymore…”

 

 _‘What!?’_ Yuuri’s not sure if he heard that correctly.

 

The silver haired man raises his head and stares straight ahead at the wall, schooling his expression into something more indifferent. “As the leader of the group it’s my duty to keep everyone safe. I made a promise that I would protect you, and I–” He falters, his head falling back down in defeat. “I couldn’t… I let such awful things happen to you Yuuri… And I’m so incredibly sorry… It’s all my fault…”

 

Yuuri doesn’t know what the older man is going on about. Victor shouldn’t be apologizing, none of this was his fault. He is the one that was the cause of this mess. The first thing he can think to do is to reach out his hand in order to grasp the one that is firmly tangled in the sheets. The scene is similar to what he can vaguely remember happening the last time he woke up, but now, his voice is more than just a quiet rasp. Victor however, does not lift his head to meet his stare, and Yuuri finds he has to put in a little more effort in order to get the man to open his hand.

 

“Victor…”

 

He receives no response.

 

_‘How can he believe that this is his fault? Why won’t he look at me? I need him to know that I don’t want to leave…’_

His last thought introduces an idea, and he can only assume that the other man doesn’t want to face him because he thinks that Yuuri is about to admit that he is right.

 

“Thank you...”

 

The same two words still hold the power to immediately draw Victor’s attention, as his head snaps up and watery blue eyes meet brown. The simple action indicates that Yuuri has the other man’s complete focus on him, and it bolsters his confidence as he tries to explain how he feels.

 

“For everything…” He continues. “If it wasn’t for you Victor, I would be dead right now… From what I can remember, the only reason I was in the back room before you found me was so that man could kill me.” The look of shock on Victor’s face only grows as he continues. “Back in Hasu I couldn’t just let Chris die, and after what I did it would be hard for me to return to a normal life, and you saved me from that too. You accepted me into the group so effortlessly when I’m probably the least helpful person in the world, and the others willingly did the same, so I couldn’t ask to be in better company. I should have been more cautious that night… It was stupid of me to go out on my own… But even though all of you have only known me for a few days, you still dropped everything to come and save me… And on top of that you risked everything to find some stranger that could help heal me, and now you beat yourself up over not doing enough?”

 

Yuuri knows his words mean something to the man as both of their gazes soften, still staring deep into the other’s eyes.

 

“If after everything we’ve already been through, you still don’t think I trust you with my life, then you’re wrong. I do. And I was right to do so. Because even after what happened I’m still alive right now, aren’t I?”

 

The brief boost of confidence starts to waiver with his last few words, and he continues on with a much more reticent tone and reserved body language, loosening his grip and looking away.

 

“I never expected anyone to care so much when I left home… I’ve only ever had my family, and it’s never safe to reveal anything about who I am to outsiders… But you… You’re different… It’s almost like a dream that I can talk so freely and openly to someone who doesn’t wield any kind of magical gift. You’re selfless, and kind… and I’m comfortable around you… The first morning we shared together during camp, I believed you when you said you would protect me… and this just proves that my trust isn’t misplaced.”

 

Victor’s eyes are shimmering now, and the older man doesn’t seem to know what to say as his mouth hangs slightly agape and he stares back at the man still laying down. Even though Yuuri can barely move and was the one that went through all those awful acts of cruelty, he somehow still tries to provide as much comfort as he can give. What happened was hard on everyone, obviously he was the one that took the hardest hit, but that doesn’t mean that the thoughts and emotions of everyone around him are any more irrelevant. Victor finally squeezes their hands in response, and Yuuri immediately tightens his hold.

 

“You never cease to amaze me Yuuri Katsuki.”

 

The glint of something more shines behind those bright blue eyes, and the two men gently smile at each other, content to be perfectly enveloped in the sentimental moment for as long as they can. Before anything else can be said, a loud rumble echoes around the room, and Victor giggles as Yuuri’s cheeks flush.

 

“I’ll go get you some food.” He says, slowly sliding his digits out of the young man’s grasp as he starts to make his way off the bed.

 

“Um… Could you help me sit up before you go?” Yuuri asks, timidly.

 

Victor smiles. “Of course.”

 

The older man shuffles close enough in order to gently remove the pillow from under his head and set it against the headboard. Strong hands slip underneath his shoulders towards the center of his back, and with a heave and a groan, Yuuri manages to slowly tilt into an upright position. Moving around doesn’t seem to hurt as much as it did before, at least from what he can remember, but it has been two weeks. With additional help, he scoots back and finally relaxes against the pillow and the sturdy bed frame.

 

“Is there anything else you need?”

 

Yuuri shakes his head before staring intently at his hands in his lap. “Just… don’t take too long…”

 

The statement seems to make something stir inside of Victor, and Yuuri notices the same roaring fire glistening behind those ocean eyes as the older man nods his understanding. The next thing he knows, Victor is directing a reassuring smile at the shy man before standing up and heading for the door. The loud creak of old hinges echoes around the room before coming to a stop, but Victor hesitates. Yuuri looks up from his spot on the bed only to see the man staring intently in his direction, but after a moment, the older man nods as if coming to a decision and quickly steps outside.

 

Finally left alone, Yuuri takes a minute to examine his new environment. Aside from the dresser and window, there is a nightstand, an armchair, and another cabinet, but that is all. The room is plain, obviously only meant for a single or dual occupancy, and it doesn’t take long before there are no more details to observe and his mind begins to mull over the situation.

 

With nothing but his inner thoughts and strange surroundings to keep him company, Yuuri is engulfed in a suffocating silence. The content and warm feeling from his time spent with Victor fleeing all too soon. Questions about everything that has happened over the past two weeks flood his consciousness, and it is as if the act of being alone opens the floodgates to all of the worrisome ideas he keeps at bay when others are present.

 

_‘Two weeks… Two fucking weeks… All I can remember is that cellar… All the pain… The burning… The beatings… The chains… Everything that man put me through… Everything that man wanted to put me through…’_

The last thought makes a shudder run through his body, and a wave of nausea and tears threaten to overtake him.

 

_‘I would rather die.’_

Yuuri is well accustomed to the intrusive thoughts that plague his mind, but something about wanting to end it all makes him extremely uncomfortable. Rationally speaking, he doesn’t want his time on this earth to run out so suddenly, but if he’s completely honest with himself, he knows that if there was no chance at freedom from his own personal hell in that basement, he would have rather, if not valiantly tried to, die on his own. No one should have to live through such atrocities, which is why it is still hard to believe that he is actually safe. Any second now he is expecting to see the boss walk into the room and continue where he left off, or perhaps he’ll wake up with a jolt of searing pain scorching his abdomen like so many times before.  

 

As his mind continues to shift from all the new information to all of the painful memories, he looks back up at the closed door and clenches the sheets tightly in his fists.

 

“Please hurry…”


	26. Reunion

Yuuri looks around his room, trying to distract himself by taking in the small, blurry details he never gave a second thought about earlier. At this point he is just trying to keep himself occupied, pointing out everything he can see until the crushing weight of being alone is relieved from his shoulders. From what he can tell, the new location is definitely a lot nicer than the previous inn, and considering that he has his own room, he can’t image what they are paying to stay here, and for two weeks no less. As his curiosity draws his eyes around to the various décor, not even a minute passes when he hears the door opening once more. He quickly turns his head to see who has come to visit, only to find Victor, empty handed and with a grin plastered on his face.

 

“I thought you were going to get something for us to eat?” Yuuri asks, attention zeroing in on the man as soon as he walks back in.

 

“I was, but then I figured why not make someone else do it? And at the same time I could inform the others of the good news!”

 

“Good news?”

 

"Why of course! And in the process I was able to retrieve these!”

 

The eccentric man pulls out a pair of blue rimmed glasses from his pocket with a flourish, displaying them briefly before handing them over.

 

“My glasses!” Yuuri cheers.

 

Reaching out to accept them, he happily places them on his face and takes another look around the room. Now that he’s seeing the world in high definition, he can’t help but feel a warm blanket of comfort surround him, easing some of his stress with the gift of corrected vision.

 

“Where did you find them?” He asks, smiling up at the older man.

 

“I think it was Chris who found them in the basement when we came to get you. He said they were on the floor so we’re lucky no one stepped on them.”

 

Yuuri grins once more. “Thank you.”

 

Victor gives a genuine smile in return, but the small moment between the two is rapidly interrupted. Not even a second later the door to the room bursts open, and a hysteric Phichit flies across the space without even bothering to close the door behind him. He slides onto his knees at the edge of the bed and clasps his hands above his head, all as he enters a deep bow.

 

“Yuuri! I’m so happy that you’re alright! I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault! I should have never left you alone! I’m such an idiot and I feel awful, and I wish it had been me and not you! You didn’t deserve any of this and I wish I could take your place. I understand if you hate me now and I get it if you don’t want to be friends, but I am so, so, so, so, so, sorry! I will never forgive myself.”

 

Yuuri is stunned into silence by the man groveling on the floor.

 

_‘Phichit thinks that this is his fault too?’_

 

The young man on his knees dares to peak a glance at his reaction, and the surprise must be evident on his face because Phichit fully tilts his head up and furrows his brow.

 

“Aren’t you mad at me?” He questions.

 

The inquiry finally urges him to respond. “Mad? Why would I be mad at you?”

 

The question catches Phichit of guard. “You were kidnapped because of me! If I hadn’t been so adamant about finding my figurine as soon as possible you would have never gone out to look for him, at least not on your own! If I took better care of my stuff in the first place this never would have happened…”

 

The idea is simply ridiculous, and Yuuri is about to start making his rebuttal when Sara and Mila suddenly walk into the room.

 

“If Phichit’s to blame then so are we.” Sara confesses. “We were so caught up in ourselves that we didn’t think to come with you when you went out on your own… You have no idea how guilty we feel about letting this happen to you.”

 

“We’re incredibly sorry, Yuuri.” Mila adds.

 

Yuuri barely has time to register the three rapid fire apologies from the other group members, and he begins to open his mouth to respond, but it is at that point that Christophe walks into the room as well.

 

“If we’re pointing fingers at who is to blame you can count me in.” He says, in his uniquely deep and rugged tone. “I should have built up a better security report when I found out that people were looking for a young man named Yuri, and I should have kept better tabs on the presence of an underground trade. I am absolutely devastated that you had to go through all that…”

 

Georgi quickly steps up behind the other man.

 

“It’s my fault as well. I should have been more vigilant when it came to assessing the back alley businesses and the overall crime in the city. Instead I was narrow-minded, and I focused on immediate threats against magicians like ourselves rather than generalizing all potential dangers. I’m sorry…”

 

“I share the blame as well.”

 

The surprising voice of Seung-gil makes everyone turn towards the door.

 

“I deeply apologize for my inaction. If I was faster, I might have been able to catch up to the group that took you when I was tracking you through the forest. It is with my deepest regrets that I must say that I have failed you as a fellow companion.”

 

The onslaught of declarations brings tears to Yuuri’s eyes, and he finds himself clenching his fists in his lap as he tries to regulate his breathing through the inevitable storm of emotions coursing through his body.

 

“I- I don’t –”

 

“Yuuri.”

 

The relaxed and definitive tone of Victor’s voice stops any words from falling off his lips, and he immediately shifts his gaze to stare into the deep pools of liquid sky.

 

“No one here thinks you’re to blame for any of this. You’re still new to the group and we all should have known better. Please accept our sincerest apologies…”

 

The captain seems to conclude the small group’s confessions, and they all dip into a low bow, no one moving a muscle as they wait for the young man’s response. The tears that were filling his eyes have started to run down his cheeks, and he quickly covers his mouth with a hand to muffle a sob.

 

“N-none of you need to apologize…” He begins, hiccupping through the tears. “I’m in debt to each and every one of you for finding me and bringing me back alive… If it’s really necessary to say, than you are all forgiven, but I still can’t thank you enough.”

 

Everyone straightens out of their bows and gives a small smile, a sense of comradery and solidarity filling the room just because they are all happy to be reunited once more. Victor grabs a face cloth and hands it to Yuuri, and he immediately uses it to dab away the waterworks staining his face.

 

“You’re part of our family now Yuuri. We would do anything for you.” Mila says.

 

Each member nods eagerly, supporting the declaration, and the young man hums in response, attempting to nod as he continues drying his tears. Suddenly, a throat clearing in the doorway makes everyone turn to see who it is, but it is someone that Yuuri has never seen before. A strange man with dark hair stands at the threshold holding a tray filled with a plate of food and a pot of tea, looking at everyone expectantly as if his gaze is enough to communicate his thoughts.

 

“Sorry to interrupt, but I have a patient to care for, if you all don’t mind.”

 

The man’s monotone voice and obvious tilt of his head back toward the hall is enough to snap everyone out of their reverie, and they all quickly clear out with promises to talk to Yuuri later. He makes sure to give them a small smile as they leave, but soon it is just himself, Victor, and the unfamiliar man in the room.

 

“Yuuri, this is Otabek Altin.” Victor begins. “He is the doctor that helped us find you and saved your life when the infections made you sick.”

 

 _‘Then he’s also the one who knows I’m a magician…’_ He can’t help but scrutinize.

 

Yuuri eyes the man up and down, watching his every move as he sets the tray of food and tea down on the nearby dresser. When he turns to face him, Yuuri notices that the dead serious expression hasn’t moved an inch, and the first thing that he thinks is that he doesn’t have very good bedside manor for a supposed doctor.

 

“Hello Yuuri.” The man states, with no emotion evident in the way he speaks. “How are you feeling?”

 

He considers Otabek and the question carefully before responding. “Okay I guess… I’m a little sore everywhere, and I get a sharp pain in my side if I take a deep breath or move too much, but that’s about it.”

 

“Excellent. You don’t feel feverish? Cold? Clammy? Nauseous? Fatigued? Lethargic?”

 

“Um… No?”

 

“Good. Any headaches or other significant pain around your body?”

 

Yuuri tries to shift around a little on the bed to test his motion. “I don’t think so…”

 

“Perfect. All that’s left is to check the scarring under the bandages and you’ll be all set to have some food.”

 

The young man’s stomach begins to growl again at the mention of eating, and so he hastily agrees to the doctor’s whims for the time being. Otabek pulls back the cover of the blanket, just low enough that it drapes over his knees. When he looks down, he sees the bandages that are wrapped around his torso as well as his forearms, and he can clearly picture what he expects to see lying in wait underneath. Suppressing a shudder, he watches in anticipation as the strange new man unwraps his left arm, and unsurprisingly he doesn’t notice any odd marks. From what he can remember, his left arm was more or less maintained throughout the ordeal, and he is more worried about his right forearm, stomach, chest, and back. Otabek keeps a straight face as he moves onto the next arm, and Yuuri holds his breath, waiting to see the gnarly result of the first cut the boss made with the white hot dagger. When the bandages are finally removed, he twists and turns his arm to put it on display, inspecting every angle for the scar, but instead, he sees nothing.

 

“What?” He breathes out.

 

Yuuri looks up to see if the other two men can explain to him why there is no mark, but as he studies their faces, both of them look just as confused.

 

“Otabek?” Victor prods, obviously searching for an answer of his own.

 

The man in question just shakes his head. “I don’t know…”

 

Yuuri doesn’t like that neither of them can give him an answer. _‘I know for a fact everything that happened to me had to be real, so why is there no proof?’_ He quickly moves to free his torso next, and the two men audibly gasp.

 

Yuuri tries to look down as best he can to see the horrible damage that he vividly remembers receiving, but he doesn’t see any marks. No bruising, redness, burns, scabs, or scars. Just the pale, lightly tanned skin that he has always known. But the lack of evidence makes him question what really happened.

 

_‘Was it really as bad as I thought? Was the leader playing mind games with me? I don’t understand… Was I drugged? Everyone already apologized for the kidnapping so that part must be real… right?’_

 

After a long silence he quietly tries to admit how wrong he must be. “I guess when it was happening my mind must have over exaggerated the pain… I expected it to be a lot worse…”

 

He looks back up to both men who are still blatantly gaping at his body, and all of the attention starts making him uncomfortable. As he begins to curl in on himself and hide from the heavy stares, Victor finally speaks up.

 

“No, Yuuri. You’re right. It was a lot worse… But it’s just, gone… How can it all be gone? Shouldn’t there at least be some scarring or something?”

 

Victor turns his gaze towards the young doctor, whose eyes are wide and a genuine look of surprise still etched onto his face.

 

“I don’t know…” He says once again, before blinking away the confusion and resuming what seems to be his natural emotionless state. “By normal standards, even for a magician, I’ve never seen anything like this. What kind of magic do you use Yuuri?”

 

He can’t help but squirm at the blunt question that can easily get him killed.

 

“Elemental…” He practically whispers.

 

“And your family?”

 

“Uh… My sister can perform banishing and protection spells, and my mom is a healer… But what do they have to do with this?”

 

“Was your mother a skilled magician?”

 

“I guess?” He replies, still shifting in his spot. “Since we’re in hiding we try to avoid using our magic as much as possible, but if one of us was ever hurt she was able to fix us up pretty quick.”

 

The strange man hums. “I believe that your mother must have enchanted you with some of her magic throughout your life. Whether it was direct or indirect, or even just because you are her son, I don’t think we’ll ever know, but I believe her power has intertwined with your own.”

 

Yuuri and Victor both stare at Otabek in disbelief, waiting for a better explanation.

 

Noticing the confusion he continues his theory. “In some way, shape, or form, your mother must have passed on some of her magic to you. When we first retrieved you from the basement you were delirious, and the cuts, burns, and bruises all over your body were quite severe. Some of them I could easily tell were made from a super-heated blade, one that would cauterize the wounds simultaneously as they were made. This alone would have caused several of your injuries to leave heavy scarring, and as we can all see there is nothing to prove they were even there in the first place.”

 

Otabek pauses, looking at Yuuri for confirmation that this information is true, and the young man can only break eye contact and nod.

 

“Your body was extremely weak when we brought you back, and soon after the infections settled in and caused your body to deteriorate even further. After we operated, your strength would have slowly returned, and with it, your magic. But I can only conclude that with the return of your own magic, your mothers came with it, and it sped up the healing process a significant amount, to an extent that even expanded beyond normal healing abilities to erase the scarring.”

 

Yuuri doesn’t know what to think. All he does know is that if Otabek’s hunch is right, he will never be able to repay his mother for being yet another person to save his life when she’s not even physically here.

 

“Does that mean Yuuri already made a full recovery?” Victor’s voice cuts in.

 

“For the most part I’d have to say yes.” Otabek quickly replies before turning back to Yuuri. “But since you stated that you feel a sharp pain when taking a deep breath in, I have to assume that her magic doesn’t apply to bones. So you still have one broken rib which should be fully healed in the next few days, but other than that you seem to be in perfect shape. A little sore as you already know, but no other severe or concerning injuries anymore.”

 

Yuuri couldn’t be happier and more confused about anything in his entire life, but for right now, he rejoices in the fact that he won’t be constantly reminded of the horrible misdeeds of others every time he looks in a mirror. Wearing a wide grin, he turns to look at Victor, and the man is smiling just as wide in return.

 

“It’s a good thing I brought up some of the sweet violet tea with your food then.” Otabek muses. “Once you drink that alongside your meal, it should help numb some of the soreness in your muscles and you might even be ready to walk around by dinner.”

 

The mention of food brings Yuuri’s attention back to just how famished he is, but before he indulges his need, he initiates eye contact with the doctor standing beside his bed.

 

“Thank you for everything Mr. Altin. I believe I owe you my life.”

 

Otabek huffs out a laugh. “Don’t mention it, I’m just glad to see you make such a speedy recovery. Victor has already promised to allow me and my companion to join your caravan on the road, and that’s compensation enough. But since we are going to be in residing in close quarters for the foreseeable future, please, just call me Otabek.”

 

Yuuri smiles. “Alright. Thank you Otabek.”

 

The man nods and heads for the door, slipping out without another word. He may not know a lot about the other man, but Yuuri can already tell that he has developed an underlying appreciation for him, and he can’t help but feel inclined to trust him. As he looks back down at his arms and chest, examining the flawless skin, he continues an inspection for some kind of mark to prove that the hell he went through was real. The next thing he knows, Victor is sitting down on the other half of the bed, legs crossed and facing the young man, setting the tray of food in between them.

 

“Are you going to be able to eat on your own?”

 

The young man lifts his arm and clenches his fist, testing his grip. “I think so…”

 

He tentatively grabs the provided utensils and scoops up some mashed potatoes, taking his time with the first bite. As soon as the soft dollops of flavor cover his tongue, he reflexively lets out a moan. His body must know that he hasn’t eaten in two weeks, and as the roar of hunger rises from his belly, he figures that everything on the platter is probably going to taste just as delicious as his first bite. Looking up to smile at the other man, Yuuri sees Victor staring straight at him wearing a stunned expression, making his grin quickly fade away.

 

“Do I have something on my face?” He quietly asks, embarrassed once again by the intense examination.

 

The other man visibly swallows. “U-uh, no… no… You just… Um… The potatoes taste really good huh?”

 

Once again Yuuri is confused. “Uh, yeah... Would you like some?”

 

The older man starts rapidly shaking his head. “No! It’s okay, you need to eat. Besides, I already had some lunch earlier before you woke up, and it’s close to midafternoon right now so I’ll still be okay until dinner.”

 

Yuuri casts a concerned look at the man before continuing on with his food.

 

“Alright…”

 

_‘Weird…’_

 

“Make sure to drink some of the tea as well.” Victor interjects, as he chews a piece of juicy meat. “That’s the stuff that Otabek was talking about, it should help with any general aches and pains that you have.”

 

Yuuri just nods and takes a big sip, and in a matter of minutes, he finishes everything that was placed on the tray. Victor picks up the platter once again and brings it back over to set on the dresser for now, and as he turns around, the man watches as Yuuri lets out a full bodied yawn.

 

Victor chuckles. “Even after two weeks straight of sleeping you’re ready for a nap already?”

 

Yuuri laughs as well. “I guess I am… but what about you?”

 

“I’m gonna stay here, maybe read. I don’t want to be far if you need something.”

 

Yuuri nods as he removes his glasses, carefully placing them on the side stand so that they can remain intact for the time being. He slowly shuffles himself down to lay on the bed, pulling the blanket up to his chin in the process and breathing through the aches pulsing through his muscles. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath in, Yuuri can feel the now familiar twinge of pain radiating from his apparently broken rib, but he suppresses the wince as he exhales, thinking that two weeks ago it probably would have felt a lot worse.

 

Suddenly he feels a shift on the bed, and he cracks open an eye to see Victor climbing back onto the unoccupied side and leaning against the headboard. The man is close enough that if he wanted to, he could easily reach up and touch him without even extending his arm, but just the presence of the man sitting next to him allows for a feeling of calm, comfort, and safety, to wash over him, relaxing his entire body and allowing his limbs to sink into the soft mattress like a ton of bricks. Closing his eyes once more, he finds it hard to open them again now that he has snuggled back into a comfortable position, stomach filled, and muscles feeling slightly less sore already. He makes a mental note to learn what plant Otabek used to make the tea, and he quickly slips off into a relaxing sleep as he appreciates the feeling of safety filling him for the first time since he left Hasu.


	27. Twenty Questions

Everything feels fuzzy. Yuuri slowly drifts back into a conscious state, but he is reluctant to relinquish the warmth, safety, and contentment, that consumed his body during his peaceful slumber. He can hear someone humming a quiet tune nearby, and he feels a gentle hand running through his hair, singling out a few strands to twirl between their fingers before letting them fall back into the messy mop atop his head. The scene is so familiar, reminding him of when his mother would do the same when he was feeling sick as a little boy, but the memory makes him even more disinclined to surrender his hold on these few moments of bliss.

 

As he snuggles down into his pillow, not quite ready to face the world, he hears the humming interrupted by a quiet giggle. Normally, that would be a minor disturbance that he would ignore in favor of more sleep, but at the same time that he hears the muffled laughter fade into existence, he can also feel the simultaneous shaking of his pillow. Immediately his body stiffens. Slowly, he cracks open his one eye that isn’t being smooshed into the bed, and the first thing he sees is the beige blanket, gently illuminated by what must be one of the sconces in the room. Carefully lifting his head up, he blinks open his other eye, fully bringing the room into a blurry focus.

 

“Good evening, sunshine.”

 

The amused tone of Victor right behind him is hard to ignore, and he closes his eyes, not ready to face embarrassment so soon after waking up.

 

_‘Of course I had to go and cuddle up to another man in my sleep…’_

 

The thought is doing no favors for his complexion as he feels a flush start to creep up his neck, and his hands clench the bedsheets in an attempt to provide an outlet for his rising anxiety. This time, a louder laugh sounds through the room.

 

“Are you okay Yuuri? You’re gripping my hand pretty tight.”

 

It is only then that he notices that one of his hands is linked with Victor’s, and he quickly releases his hold in order to push himself away.

 

“I-I’m sorry!” Yuuri squeaks out, as he rapidly creates a respectable distance between the two of them without falling off the bed.

 

Another chuckle resonates through the empty space, and it is hard to hear such a sweet sound when it is linked to the feeling of such immense humiliation. Yuuri arranges himself in order to take up as little room as possible on the edge of the mattress, sitting upright with his legs straight out in front of him as he avoids the older man’s gaze. There is no way he can look up from his lap to face Victor at the moment, and so he focuses instead on his own two hands that are now balled into fists on top of his thighs.

 

_‘Not only am I pressing myself into the poor man but I’m holding his hand too!? What is wrong with me!?’_

 

“It’s okay, Yuuri. At one point it looked like you were having a nightmare, so I reached out to hold your hand while you slept, like the last time… I hope you don’t mind…” Victor admits, clearing his throat before another small giggle escapes the man’s lips. “But I guess it worked a little too well… After that you kind of naturally made your way into my lap.”

 

_‘Oh my god…’_

Yuuri wants to crawl back under the covers and die, but the best he can do is groan and hang his head, covering his face with his hands.

 

“B-but I didn’t mind!” The silver haired man quickly adds.

 

It may just be Yuuri’s own opinion, but it seems a little backwards to see Victor stammering out a reassurance about his own unconscious desires.

 

“It was actually kind of nice to be able to help someone seeking comfort, even if it was just in your sleep.”

 

_‘Seeking comfort?’_

 

At first, the young man is not sure what is meant right away, but then it clicks.

 

_‘Oh. He thinks I was just scared…’_

 

Yuuri’s not sure why, but the motivation behind the man’s actions doesn’t sit well with him, and it quickly removes any last traces of the soft and warm feelings still lingering from earlier.

 

 _‘I guess that explains the humming and_ _petting as well…’_

Dropping his hands back onto his lap, he tries to push back the unknown, yet oddly dominant, negative feelings, and he takes a deep breath in order to calm his racing heart.

 

“Sorry for being so clingy, but now that I’m up you won’t have to worry about it...”

 

His statement is blunt and said without any warmth, and he can tell without looking that the man beside him is trying to figure out what to say in response. But Yuuri doesn’t want to hear more reasons about how he needs to be comforted, so he takes one look out the window and starts a new topic of conversation.

 

“It must be pretty late if it’s already dark outside. Have you eaten dinner yet?”

 

Thankfully it only takes a moment of silence for the man to respond.

 

“No. I was waiting for you actually. I figured you wouldn’t exactly slip back into another coma after you went back to sleep, and once you woke up you’d probably be pretty hungry again.”

 

He can easily notice the shift in Victor’s tone, going from his playful amusement to a straightforward reply, but the man isn’t wrong. He can feel the rumbling of his stomach reverberate around his insides, and he tells Victor as much. The topic of food seems to clear the air of whatever bitter feeling suddenly tainted the atmosphere, and the older man chuckles.

 

“Well then, I’ll go let someone know and then we can go down and eat.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Yuuri starts to shuffle around so that his legs hang off the side of the bed, but a firm hand on his shoulder prevents him from moving forward onto his feet.

 

“Maybe wait until I get back before you try walking around. Your muscles are probably fairly weak after two weeks of no exercise.”

 

The man has a point, and so he simply nods and feels the strong grip disappear.

 

“I’ll be right back.”

 

Victor quickly slides off the other end of the bed and effortlessly puts on his boots. Without a moment of hesitation he slips out the door and heads down the hall. Conveniently, Yuuri can see his own footwear right next to his side of the bed, and he reaches down to grab his old worn down hunting boots. He admits that putting them on is a little difficult, but soon his feet are secured and encased in the familiar hard, brown, leather, and he sits and waits for the other man to return, impatiently swinging his feet just above the floor. After a few minutes, his stomach rumbles once more.

 

 _‘I wonder what’s taking him so long…’_ Yuuri glances towards the door and listens for any footsteps in the hallway. _‘Otabek said that I should be able to walk around by dinner… Maybe I should try and stand on my own to see how bad it is…’_

 

Without any other thought on the matter, the young man quickly learns that staying in bed for two weeks does cause some minor inconveniences. As soon as he moves to finally stand up from the bed, his legs immediately give out, and the motion jostles his torso as he lands on all fours. Breathing out a sound of distress, he can feel his healing rib protesting the harsh movement greatly. Apparently his mother’s magic is quite useful for healing ailments and general bodily harm, but when it comes to bones as well as muscle atrophy, it seems that he is on his own. He is only on the floor for a few seconds before the door swings open and Victor hurries in.

 

The older man sighs. “Yuuri, what did I tell you? You’re going to be a little shaky from not moving around for the last couple of weeks, so you need to take it easy.”

 

His only response is a huff as he turns his head down to pout, breathing through the pain that is slowly ebbing away.

 

“Honestly, I leave you alone for one minute and you couldn’t even wait.”

 

The next thing Yuuri knows, there are a pair of boots standing in front of him, and he looks up to see two hands being held out as an offering. Reluctantly, he moves to accept the other man’s help, and with a heave and a heavy groan, he is back on his own two rickety legs.

 

Letting out a deep sigh he finally looks into the stunning ocean eyes that are shimmering straight back at him, laced with concern. After avoiding the man’s gaze since he woke up attached to his leg, the eye contact quickly turns out to be too much, and he ducks his head once more, still embarrassed from earlier and ashamed that he can’t even stand on his own.

 

“Thanks…” He mutters.

 

Victor gives him a gentle smile and squeezes his hands.

 

“Do you think you’re going to be able to walk on your own?”

 

Yuuri hums as he carefully considers the state of his legs, lightly shifting his weight back and forth.

 

“Standing I think yes... But walking, I’m not so sure...”

 

The older man nods and starts maneuvering himself underneath one of Yuuri’s arms, still holding on to one hand over his shoulder and wrapping the other gently around the young man’s waist.

 

“Since we’re just going downstairs you won’t need your jacket or anything, so just take your time and we’ll head down together.”

 

Yuuri’s concentration immediately narrows down to the sudden lack of space between them once again. He can’t help himself as he thinks about when he woke up, and exactly how much of his body is currently being pressed against the larger man. The feeling of ‘ _safe, warm, safe,’_ starts edging its way back into his mind, but he pushes it away to focus on the task at hand. He knows the assistance is nothing more than an act of kindness, but the silver haired man still hasn’t looked away from his face, and so he attempts to turn his head down even further in order to hide the rush of blood that is accumulating in his cheeks.

 

Not trusting himself to look up and act normal, he quickly nods and manages to sound out a quiet, “Okay…”

 

_‘What the hell is wrong with me!? Can’t I act like a regular human for five minutes?’_

 

Victor secures his hold and the pair starts to move. The first few steps are a little rough, and Yuuri can feel the taller man's grip tightening as he tries to keep himself upright.

 

“It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

 

The older man’s reassurance makes his empty stomach stir, and his mind is practically screaming at the burst of _‘safe, warm, safe,’_ blooming in his chest. He stares adamantly down at the floor as they continue to hobble out into the hallway, refusing to let his confusing emotions show. They pause as Victor closes and locks the door behind them, and as soon as they turn to start heading down the hallway, he counts his blessings as the wide corridor makes it a little bit easier to move. As they continue to walk, Yuuri's legs begin to accommodate the familiar sensation, and it doesn’t take long before they are at the top of a staircase.

 

“Sorry…” Victor mumbles. “The only rooms they had available were on the third floor…”

 

Yuuri groans. “Of course…”

 

The young man attempts to take the first step down the flight of what seems like an excessive amount of stairs, but his knees aren’t used to supporting his weight as they bend, and so it is only a fraction of a second before they freely give out. A harsh squeeze around his waist and the secure grip tightening on his hand is the only saving grace Yuuri has in order to keep him upright and not tumbling down the stairwell. But now Victor is supporting all of his useless dead weight, and there is nothing he can do to help stabilize himself except desperately clutch onto the older man’s shirt.

 

“Sorry…” Yuuri mutters. “Thank you…”

 

“It’s alright. Did you want me to carry you?”

 

The silver haired man offers the suggestion as if it were as easy as blinking, and for a moment Yuuri considers the proposition, that is, until he realizes that it would mean being wrapped around the older man like a tightly rolled cigar. Just the mere thought of additional, and at this rate excessive, bodily contact continues to colour Yuuri’s face brighter than before, and he quickly shakes his head.

 

“N-no… Just, go slow…”

 

“Okay. Try holding onto the rail and using your arms to take off some of the stress on your knees.”

 

Again Yuuri nods, and they continue their descent down the stairs, taking it slow and making sure the other person is ready for the next step before moving forward. With every drop, Yuuri wobbles, clutching to the banister and Victor for dear life, using them both as if they were a pair of makeshift crutches.

 

“I think the tea might have worked a little too well… My legs feel like columns of jelly.”

 

The sudden comment makes Victor snort, and the snort in turn forces a laugh out of Yuuri.

 

“I’m sure you’ll be walking on your own in no time.” The man says with a smile. “Between your mom and Otabek you’re one lucky duck, if anything you shouldn’t even be awake right now.”

 

Yuuri knows he is incredibly fortunate to even be alive, and he holds on tight to the taller man in order to ground himself to the moment. Once they get into a rhythm, they move a little faster, and soon they’ve made it down two levels and are on solid ground once more.

 

“The dining hall is just around the corner.” Victor says as he motions to the right, and they continue to slowly shuffle into the nearby room.

 

As soon as they make their way to a table, Victor gently helps lower Yuuri into his seat, and he mumbles out another thanks as the man sits next to him. The table they chose is in a good spot, close to the door but also out of the way in the corner. As Yuuri looks around, he only spots a few other patrons nibbling on some leftovers or having a drink at the bar.

 

“What time is it?”

 

He knows it is sometime in the evening. His best guess would place them just after dinner, but the lack of customers tells him otherwise.

 

“Oh, it’s probably around one in the morning.”

 

“What!? Victor, you should have eaten hours ago!”

 

The chastising is easily flicked away with a leisurely wave of the man’s hand.

 

“I wanted to wait.”

 

Before Yuuri can protest Victor cuts him off.

 

“Besides, I couldn’t exactly dislodge a certain sleeping beauty wrapped around my leg now could I?”

 

That shuts Yuuri up real quick, leaving his mouth agape as his cheeks flare once more.

 

“Now, what would you like to have, Yuuri? I hear they have a wonderful potato and beef stew, perfect for these chilly fall nights.”

 

Yuuri rapidly forfeits any argument he might have had against the man’s poor eating habits and begins thinking about his dinner options, and if that action includes hiding behind a small handwritten menu then so be it. The restaurant outlines several different meal types that they can provide throughout the day, ranging from a simple combination of cheese and bread, to the more expensive choice of imported wine and seafood, but in the end, the stew sounds like the best choice for something hearty and yet not too extravagant. When the lone server working the graveyard shift comes by to drop off some water, they order two bowls of the stew and Yuuri gets a cup of tea alongside it. Taking a few gulps from his drink, they sit quietly, simply enjoying the others presence and idly people watching the last few customers who remain at the bar. However, it doesn’t take long for Yuuri’s attention to be drawn back to the man sitting next to him, and the more his thoughts start to wander, the more he realizes that he doesn’t know much about the man at all.

 

“Victor?”

 

The silver haired man hums in acknowledgement as he continues to watch a drunk and disorderly try to pay his tab for the night with an empty pouch.

 

“Where are you from?”

 

The curious question draws the older man’s gaze, and he seems to scrutinize Yuuri for a moment before responding.

 

“Where’s this coming from?” He asks.

 

Yuuri shrugs. “I was just thinking… You know practically everything about me… Who I am, what I do, where I come from, so on and so forth, but I don’t really know much about you. I know your name, and that you’ve been friends with Chris for a really long time… I know the backstory of the group, but I still don’t really know anything about you.”

 

Victor raises a single, achromatic eyebrow in response. “And why do you want to know the real me?”

 

He gives another shrug. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’m just curious… I guess I want to get to know you better.”

 

Yuuri notices a change in the way that Victor is looking at him. A shimmer in his deep blue eyes alluding to something deeper that is hidden away, like a treasure chest at the bottom of the ocean just waiting to be found.

_‘How can someone have such naturally beautiful eyes…’_

 

The sudden thought makes his own mind do a mental double take.

 

_‘Did I really just think that?’_

 

There must have been a flicker in his expression, because a grin spreads across the silver haired man’s face. The timing seems to be too close to be a coincidence, but as far as he knows, Victor is no mind reader.

 

“Alright Yuuri. What would you like to know?”

 

Whatever it is that just happened, he is not sure that he wants to know, but now he has an open invitation to ask the mysterious man anything he wants, and so he starts with the basics.

 

“Where are you from?”

 

“Amherst.”

 

“Really? Capital City?”

 

“That’s right. Born and raised.”

 

_‘Wow…’_

 

Right off the bat, the answer is not what Yuuri is expecting, but now that he knows, it is impossible to imagine the man before him being raised anywhere else.

 

“Before you left and created the group, what did you do?”

 

Yuuri can see Victor briefly hesitate before answering.

 

“I worked with my parents.”

 

“What do your parents do?”

 

“They work in politics.”

 

Yuuri hums. “So they must be higher up in the social class I assume?”

 

“You could say that.”

 

The vague answer piques Yuuri’s curiosity, and without eliminating any options, he feels the need to ask more.

 

“How many people are in your family?”

 

“My immediate family is only made up of myself, my mom, and my dad. But both of my parents have several siblings so my extended family is quite large.”

 

“Would you be considered a noble?”

 

Again the man hesitates, but this time the silence extends for a longer period of time.

 

“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” Yuuri gently reminds him.

 

Their eyes connect once more, and now all Yuuri can see is a look of vulnerability and sadness. He reaches across their small table, palm up in an invitation which is readily accepted. Yuuri can feel the other man squeezing his hand a little more than normal, but it is easy to tighten his own grip in return.

 

“I can think of something else if you’d like?”

 

“It’s okay…” The man mutters. “Yes, I am.”

 

Considering anything is possible he really shouldn’t be so surprised, but the obvious reluctance to speak about the topic makes Yuuri distinctly aware of the boundary. Deciding not to press further for the time being, he changes the direction of his unexpected questionnaire to a safer topic.

 

“How many places have you traveled to?”

 

“As in cities?”

 

Yuuri nods. “Cities, towns, villages, kingdoms, whatever.”

 

The older man smiles. “Honestly? I lost count.”

 

The young man’s eyes widen.

 

“Really!?”

 

Victor laughs. “Truly. Four years on the road has taken me far.”

 

"Fair enough. Do you know which one would be your favorite?”

 

“It all depends on how I’m feeling honestly. If I’m looking for somewhere warm and sunny to relax on a beach, then there are a few places down south hat would be hard to beat. But if I’m in the mood for something more temperate or even a winter escape, I hear there’s a little town named Hasu that has some hot springs that are to die for. Not to mention the locals there are some of the most kind and friendly people that I’ve ever met.”

 

Yuuri can’t stop the grin that reflexively comes out at the sweet words regarding his home, and he takes a second to think of another question to follow up with.

 

“How long have you known Chris?”

 

“Oh gosh… That shit-head has been getting me in trouble for as long as I can remember… I think I was six when we met? So he would’ve only been four… But we grew up together. We played together, went to the same school, lived on the same street, and followed similar career paths… We even developed crushes on all of the same people, sometimes without even knowing that we knew the same person in the first place.”

 

The last statement makes an inevitable blush tint Yuuri’s cheeks, and the young man finds it necessary to look anywhere other than the man beside him.

 

“You must have been pretty popular with the ladies…” He quietly comments.

 

“Oh I was.”

 

 _‘Oh…_ ’

 

Even though he technically asked, for some reason he can’t help but feel sad to hear the answer. Shaking off the unease, he tries to move on, and he looks back at the other man to ask something else, but before he can, Victor interrupts his train of thought.

 

“It’s just too bad for them that I have my sights set on something a little different.”

 

The way he says his answer leaves it open to interpretation, but the man looks straight into his chocolate eyes, gives a breath taking smile, and winks. The simple action predictably makes Yuuri’s heart skip a beat, and he can physically feel the previously calm flow of blood rise up from the depths of every extremity just to make his head spin like a top.

_‘Did he really just insinuate that he’s gay!? And then fucking wink at me!?’_

Turning into a stuttering idiot, he tries to continue their little game of get to know Victor, even though now he thinks he has all the information he really needs to know about Victor.

 

“S-so, you and Chris are close?”

 

Victor chuckles. “Like two peas in a pod.”

 

“Does he ever… You know… Act a little aggressive around you?” He timidly says, hiding his face behind his glass of water. "Like, lascivious?"

 

Victor simply belts out a laugh in response. “That idiot will hit on anything with two legs and a heartbeat. You should have seen him during puberty.” The older man rolls his eyes and continues on with a wide grin. “He once thought it was a good idea to ask me if I wanted to sexually ‘experiment’ in the middle of a family dinner.”

 

Yuuri chokes on his water. He sets the glass back down and leans away from the table coughing, trying to regain a small smidgen of composure while he tries to process what just happened.

_‘Holy fuck, I was not expecting that…’_

 

In his desperation to breathe air rather than water, his heaving does no favors for his broken rib, and he winces as the pain sends him a reminder that he is still not at one hundred percent healed.

 

“Oh my god, Yuuri! I’m sorry! Are you okay?”

 

Victor places a firm hand on his back and starts rubbing in small circles. He gives a shaky nod and positions himself upright once more, just in time for the server to come by and drop off two steaming bowls of chunky soup along with a tea. Victor thanks the worker as Yuuri grabs his glass of water once again and takes a tentative sip, trying to ease the burning sensation in his throat. The older man finally retracts his hand from his back, moving instead to utilize the spoon next to his meal, and once Yuuri feels ready, he follows suit.

 

“This is delicious!” The older man proclaims.

 

Yuuri brings the spoonful up to his mouth, blowing on the hot mixture before popping it in. His first bite contains a decently sized cube of beef, which is cooked so perfectly that it falls apart in his mouth like it is melting. The flavor goes well with the stock and rosemary in the broth, and he closes his eyes and hums in appreciation. As he opens them back up, he sees Victor staring at him, reminding him of how he did the exact same thing when he ate lunch earlier.

 

“Um… Are you okay?”

 

The question seems to shake the man from his daydreaming, and blue eyes focus on him once again.

 

“Sorry, I just, got distracted…”

 

“Okay…”

 

Yuuri doesn’t know how to respond to that, and so he quickly returns to eating his stew, thoroughly enjoying the mix of textures and flavors combined together to make such a delicious meal. It doesn’t take long before he notices that every time he takes a bite, Victor is eyeing him like a hawk, and soon after that, he realizes that the silver haired man isn’t even eating. Trying to ignore the awkwardly intense staring in favor of food, he continues enjoying his dinner, but soon, the strange behavior is starting to unnerve him, and he puts down his spoon with a sigh and turns away from his half-finished meal in order to glare at the older man.

 

 “What’s wrong?” Victor quickly asks.

 

“I should be asking you the same thing.”

 

The man blinks, confusion spreading across his face. “Nothing is wrong.”

 

“You had one bite and then just stopped eating. And then you proceeded to just stare at me like a wolf hunting its prey. If nothing is wrong then what are you doing?”

 

“Um…”

 

The man breaks his eye contact, and if Yuuri’s glasses help him with anything, he thinks he can spot a faint tint of pink across the man’s cheeks and nose. Yuuri furrows his brow, utterly confused at the bizarre behavior and no explanation.

 

“Are you sure nothing is wrong? Do you feel okay?”

 

Without thinking, he raises his hand and places the back of it on Victor’s forehead. It doesn’t feel too warm, and the man gently grasps his wrist and pulls down to remove his hand.

 

“I’m fine, Yuuri. It’s just… When you eat… You do it with a lot of… enthusiasm...”

 

Now Yuuri is really confused.

 

“Enthusiasm?”

 

“Yeah… You um… Kind of, make noises when you eat?”

 

He’s not sure why the answer is phrased as a question.

 

“…Okay? What’s wrong with that?”

 

This time he knows for sure that the man is blushing because his face gets even redder, and the near constant eye contact immediately becomes scattered.

 

“N-nothing! You just sound like you’re enjoying it… _A Lot_.”

 

The emphasis on the last two words is doing nothing to clear up any part of the situation or conversation. Yuuri stares at the man with parted lips and slightly squinted eyes, trying to figure out what is going on, and then it hits him.

 

“Oh my god!” He squeals.

 

The remaining drops of blood left in his body that have not already accumulated in his head must be simultaneously rushing up his neck all the way to his ears, because everything is way too hot and he can barely even breathe. At the rate this night has been going, he is starting to think he will die of embarrassment before anything else, but he couldn’t be more thankful that there are not very many patrons out and about at such a late hour, and mercifully no one they know.

 

“Oh my god!”

 

Victor gives a shy smile, meanwhile his own expression continues to morph into pure, unadulterated, mortification.

 

“You think— I eat— and it sounds—”

 

The older man bashfully nods.

 

“I can’t believe you!” He shrieks.

 

“What did I do!?” Victor exclaims, face now breaking out into a wide grin as he tries to talk through a giggle.

 

“You know what you did!”

 

“What!? I think it’s cute!”

 

Yuuri groans, throwing his hands up in defeat and burying his face in his palms, heart pounding. He mutters out another “Oh my god” between his fingers, making Victor burst out into laughter.

 

“It’s okay Yuuri, I won’t tell anyone.”

 

“I’m never going to eat around you again…” He mumbles through his hands.

 

“Oh don’t say that! It’s impossible! We practically live together!”

 

“Guess I’m going to starve to death then.”

 

“Yuuri!” The man whines.

 

“Tell my family I love them, and let the rest of the group know I died because of you.”

 

Victor gasps and then cries even louder. “Yuuri!”


	28. My Pleasure

Yuuri avoids eye contact and ignores Victor as long as it takes for the man to accept his fate and begin eating his own dinner once again. It is only then that he finishes the rest of his meal in silence, trying his hardest to avoid making any unnecessary sounds. When both of them are full and their bowls are empty, Yuuri sits back in his chair and sips at the rest of his tea while they wait for their bill. As soon as the server stops by with the tab, Victor quickly slips them a small stack of gold coins and sends them on their way.

 

“How much was it?” Yuuri can’t help but ask.

 

“Not that much.”

 

The young man gives a little pout. “I feel bad if I can’t pay you back.”

 

Victor closes his eyes and waves his hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

 

Yuuri isn’t satisfied with that answer, and so he raises an eyebrow and sends a pointed look in the other man’s direction.

 

“Then how about you tell me the amount it’s costing you to keep all of us in this fancy place? It’s my fault we were here anyways, and for two weeks no less. I’m going to have to start giving you some money to repay you for everything.”

 

The older man just sighs and leans forward, resting his chin on his two hands while looking into his warm brown eyes. “Yuuri, believe me, this is hardly fancy. And I’ve been doing this for four years. If I say you don’t have to pay me back, don’t worry about it. Plus I’ve told you a million times, none of this is your fault.”

 

“But—”

 

“No buts!” He says raising a finger.

 

Yuuri frowns.

 

“Alright, some buts, but only the good kind.”

 

Victor winks at him once again and he just shakes his head while letting out an exasperated sigh.

 

“Fine… I’ll let it go if you promise to tell me the moment that you might need even the slightest financial contribution.”

 

“Deal.” Victor curtly agrees.

 

The smug look on the older man’s face and his lightning fast agreement makes Yuuri think that he unknowingly just let the other man win.

 

_‘If he’s considered a noble he probably has enough cash to last a lifetime…’_

The cocky grin that is still plastered on display makes him sigh _._

_‘That’s probably exactly the case knowing him…’_

"Thanks for all of this by the way… It might be trivial to you, but I just want you to know that I do appreciate your generosity.”

 

“It’s my pleasure, Yuuri.” Victor says with a more genuine smile. “Are you ready to head back upstairs?”

 

Yuuri takes one last look into his tea cup before downing the last shot and nodding his head. The older man stands up and comes around to assist Yuuri to his feet, holding both of his hands and giving him a firm tug upwards. He is a little less wobbly than their trip down, but he is starting to feel tired again, and his struggle to stay focused and balance properly only increases the longer he remains upright.

 

Victor is at his side in an instant, one arm around his waist and the other held out in front for Yuuri to use as a support. They start making their way back to the foot of the stairs and as they take on the first step, Yuuri stumbles, almost falling face first into the wooden steps. Of course, Victor is there to brace him and catch him as needed, but as he urges the young man to try again, he stubbornly stays rooted to his spot at the bottom of the staircase.

 

“Yuuri?” The older man prods. “What’s wrong?”

 

He lowers his head and tightens his grip on Victors arm in front of him.

 

_’There’s no way I’m going to be able to make it up two flights of stairs right now…’_

 

“Yuuri?”

 

“I… Um… Would you…”

 

The young man’s voice is barely a whisper, and tilting his head toward the floor is doing nothing to help his projection. However, his few words followed by silence seem to be just enough for the other man to clue in.

 

“Would you like me to carry you?”

 

Yuuri’s cheeks feel warm once again, and he doesn’t trust his voice to be anything other than a squeak, so he just nods.

 

“Okay.”

 

Victor removes his arm from around his waist, and carefully steps in front of Yuuri, bending his knees to lower himself just above the floor.

 

“It’s going to be easier going up two sets of stairs if you climb onto my back.”

 

The man has a point, any other way would be too awkward to maneuver around the tight corners and railings. Yuuri hesitates, feeling incredibly embarrassed, but he slowly shuffles forward so that he is straddling the man in front of him. Awkwardly, he leans in and wraps his arms around the man’s neck as Victor starts to rise out of his crouch, and gradually he feels his weight shift off of his feet, allowing them to dangle freely by their sides as the taller man stands to his full height.

 

“Is this okay?”

 

Yuuri nods but then realizes Victor can’t see him.

 

“Yes… Thank you…”

 

Victor tilts his head to the side, just enough that Yuuri can see his mouth when he gives a small smile.

 

“My pleasure.”

 

With that, they begin heading back up the stairs, much faster than if Yuuri had to walk. The slight impact from each step aggravates his rib, but he breathes through the pain, thankful that it is giving him a distraction from the man currently between his thighs. He unconsciously tightens his hold as they round the first landing and continue heading up, and he isn’t certain, but he thinks he can see the corner of Victor’s mouth quirk up, except his view from behind makes it hard to tell.

 

Not even a minute passes and they are already on the third floor, and Yuuri starts to loosen his hold, assuming that he will placed back on the ground. His expectations however, are shattered when Victor keeps walking down the hall towards their rooms.

 

“Um, you can put me down now… I know I’m pretty heavy…”

 

“Nonsense! You barely weigh a pound!”

 

That is the only response he gets before they are at the door to his room. Victor shuffles around, briefly releasing one of his legs in order to root around for the key in his pocket. Once it is successfully located, he unlocks the door and pushes it open, gracefully striding inside as if there isn’t a one hundred and eighty pound man hanging off of his back. As the door swings shut behind them, Victor spins around in front of the bed and slowly starts to bend at the knees. Yuuri finally takes that as his cue and slips off straight onto the soft mattress behind him, and the older man straightens as soon as his weight is gone.

 

“Thanks, but now that I know you’re so extra, I’m glad I didn’t agree to you carrying me down the stairs in the first place… At least nobody saw us on the way up.”

 

Victor turns to face him with a pout and starts to whine again.

 

“Yuuri! Does that mean you don’t want the others to see me giving you a piggy back ride!?”

 

This makes the young man snort.

 

“Of course not!” He says sarcastically. “Who wouldn’t want to be seen riding you?”  


The words are out of his mouth before he can even think about what he is saying, but as soon as he realizes, he claps a hand over his lips. His eyes are wide as he stares at Victor, but the only response he receives is a devilish grin curling up the corners of the older man’s mouth and a predatory look in his deep, blue eyes.

 

“Why Yuuri…” The man purrs, leaning forward until their faces are only a couple of inches apart.  

 

Yuuri can’t help it when his breath hitches in response. He starts to move back in order to create some distance between them, but the sudden impact against the wooden headboard is the only warning he gets before he is trapped between the wall and the towering man over top of him. Victor proceeds to intrude into his space as he positions his own hand on the headboard and brings the other up to Yuuri’s face, brushing a thumb across his bottom lip.

 

“All you had to do was ask.”

 

As if the situation wasn’t worse enough, Victor is close enough now that Yuuri can feel the tingling of the man’s breath ghost across his now overstimulated lips as the few words are whispered between them. All at once, Yuuri is suddenly aware of how close they are, how his breathing is practically nonexistent, how the soft fabric of the bed linens slide along his fingertips as he grips the sheets with an incredible strength, and finally how every muscle in his body might be screaming for him to run away, but his reflexes have decided to freeze, cementing him to the moment.

 

His face must be as bright as a bonfire at this point, but every sensation that is currently shooting through his body is entirely new to him. There is a veritable maelstrom of emotions and thoughts swirling around his mind, but the only thing he can concentrate on is how Victor’s breath on his lips feels like the light, feathery touch of a warm chinook wind that flows through the valleys back home. Except here and now, the intense atmosphere makes it seem as if there are sparks shooting through the air around them, and instead of a refreshing breeze calming his nerves, Yuuri feels like a wrecking ball is slamming straight into his chest.

 

_‘Holy fuck. Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god.’_

 

His mouth is gaping open like a fish, and all that comes out are tiny cracks and squeaks of sound that can’t even count as a syllable. The stunned silence lasts only a few moments, because Victor mercifully stands back up laughing to himself, finally giving Yuuri some room to breathe.

 

“You’re so cute when you’re flustered.”

 

_‘Oh my god he thinks I’m cute.’_

 

Yuuri’s brain is absolutely fried, and he defaults to toppling over onto his side and covering his face with his hands. He is too busy wallowing in his own embarrassment that he isn’t aware of Victor’s location until he feels a hand lifting his foot off the bed and suspending it in midair. Peeking through his trusty shield of fingers, he sees the older man kneeling by the edge of the bed, carefully extracting the boot off his foot. He quickly lowers his guard in order to push himself slightly forward so that he is resting on his elbows, and he quietly watches the man work for a few uneventful moments. All of his past embarrassment is quickly swept aside at the odd scene, and his overwhelming anxiety is rapidly swapped with a sense of befuddlement.

 

“Uh, you really don’t have to do that. I put them on by myself, I’m sure I can take them off.”

 

Victor continues sliding the boot all the way off and gently placing it down on the floor at the foot of the bed, after which he simply looks up to make eye contact and smiles.

 

“I don’t have to, but I want to.”

 

Yuuri doesn’t know how to respond to that, and so when the man reaches for his next foot, he doesn’t resist as it is lifted up and the other boot is removed as well.

 

_‘He’s so strange sometimes…’_

 

“T-thank you…” He mumbles.

 

Victor gives him another award winning smile. “It’s my pleasure.”

 

 _‘My pleasure…’_ The two words echo through his mind over and over again. _‘That’s the third time he’s said that today…’_

 

Shrugging the phrase off as a coincidence and deciding to simply brush off the odd behavior, he gives the man a shy but grateful smile.

 

“Will you be going to bed now?”

 

The content look on the older man’s face quickly turns sour, settling into a disgruntled mood.

 

“I guess…”

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Victor purses his lips. “Would you mind-” He pauses, sighing before deciding to continue. “Would you mind if I stayed here with you?”

 

Yuuri is confused and yet somehow relieved. He doesn’t want to spend much time alone after what happened, and so he gives the man another small smile.

 

“I wouldn’t mind at all.”

 

A huge grin spreads across the older man’s face.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Yuuri hums. “My pleasure.”

 

They both smile at each other before Yuuri starts to shuffle around so that he is oriented the right way in the bed. Victor walks over to the other side, sits down, and quickly removes his own boots, only to get back up and double check that the door is locked. Satisfied with the secured bolt, he comes back and smothers the flame of the oil lamp that is lighting the room, plunging them into darkness. Yuuri slowly maneuvers himself underneath the blankets, and he wiggles his way down so that his head is resting on the pillow. Victor follows suit, careful not to jostle the mattress in case it aggravates any of the young man’s injuries, and he lets out a deep sigh as soon as he fully sinks into the bed.

 

Once they are both settled, Yuuri on his back and Victor on his side facing the other man, all that fills the room is the sound of their breathing. The moonlight pours through the window, dimly outlining the various shapes and silhouettes, while the dull roar of the wind outside fades into the background as they relax into the safety and comfort of the room. Yuuri can’t help but think that the presence of the other man has a calming effect on him, and he starts to feel the _‘safe, warm, safe,’_ mantra creeping back inside his head.

 

“Goodnight Yuuri.” Victor whispers into the calm air between them.

 

The two words make Yuuri smile.

 

“Goodnight Victor.”

 

Finally, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath in, surrendering himself to the wave of exhaustion that washes over him on the exhale.


	29. Moving On

Yuuri is happy. After everything that he went through he is actually happy. The next week is been spent trying to regain some of his mobility while taking multiple breaks to rest. The members of the group come and go, visiting or helping out in any way that they can, and Yuuri feels guilty every time they run down to grab him food or refill his water since he practically has his own live in butler now.

For the entire week, Victor refuses to leave his side, and the few times that he does, it is only for a couple of minutes or because one of them has to use the washroom. The pair are constantly with one another, eating, talking, joking around, and they still share the same room after they both admitted they didn’t want to be by themselves. Victor assists with everything he can possibly think of, from helping Yuuri dress, to making sure he is well fed, assisting with exercise, and even carrying him around a couple more times. Of course Yuuri feels embarrassed about having the man dote on him twenty-four seven, but the older man always insists, and who is he to tell the captain no.

Otabek has made the effort to regularly visit as well, ensuring that his health and recovery are progressing smoothly and offering more medicinal teas and various herbs to speed up the process. By the end of the week, the raven haired magician is already back to normal, and they can only assume that his mother’s magic must help a little with muscle atrophy when he’s up and about, since his full recovery should have taken at least two more weeks. Either that or Otabek’s natural remedies work absolute wonders, but Yuuri isn’t complaining. He has simply accepted the idea that there is some fortunate intervention, divine or otherwise, that has blessed his recovery. He may not know why, but he is grateful for it.

Now he finds himself sitting cross legged on his bed, leaning against the headboard and bumping shoulders with a tall, silver haired man. Both of them are laughing and smiling at a story Victor just finished telling about when he was young, involving Chris convincing him that it was a good idea to bring home a stray dog and keep him in the guest parlor. Of course it didn’t take long for the room to be utterly destroyed, and for his parents to find out and think that some dog managed to break into their house.

As tears threaten to fall from laughing so hard, a throat clearing at the door makes both men take a few deep breaths to collect themselves and address their visitor. Yuuri quickly looks up while he is wiping the corners of his eyes to see Chris leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, and a smile on his face.

“Well, well, well, look at you two. If I had known you were having so much fun in bed together I would’ve joined sooner.”

Victor rolls his eyes while Yuuri averts his gaze, hoping his small blush is easily hidden.

“Either way, you have an absurd sixth sense when it comes to finding people in bed together.” The older man states.

The comment makes Chris’ smile grow even wider. “That I do chéri. Now, what are you two lovebirds laughing about?”

Yuuri knows his pumping blood must be visible now, and he sees Victor press his lips into a thin line and give a pointed look at his friend.

“I was just telling Yuuri about the day I got Makkachin, do you remember?”

The newcomer pushes off the wall and walks over to seat himself at the foot of the bed. “Mon dieu, how could I forget? That giant ball of fluff is a terrorist in your own home.”

“Is he really that big?” Yuuri can’t help but ask.

There is a mischievous glint in Chris’ eye as he glances to Victor before his forest green eyes meet honey brown and he responds. “Oh, he’s bigger than you think.”

“Chris!” Victor hisses.

It doesn’t take much to figure out that the man is obviously making a double entendre, and Yuuri lets out an awkward chuckle as his flush continues to rise up to his ears. Now that he knows some of the history between the two of them, he tries not to think about how the blonde’s words must have some kind of truth behind them.

“What? I’m just saying he is fairly large for a standard size poodle… And quite the handful too.”

Of course he directs a wink to Yuuri at the end, and the young man reflexively shifts gaze, feeling the burn of his face becoming even stronger.

Victor gasps. “Chris! Stop teasing!”

The man hums. “Now, where have I heard that before?”

Victor’s jaw drops.

“Chris!” He screeches.

Yuuri is looking anywhere other than at the two men sitting next to him, fidgeting with his hands in his lap and attempting to clear his throat. There is no way in hell that he didn’t hear the man’s lascivious comment, but he likes to think that if he doesn’t make eye contact maybe the others will think he isn’t even here at all.

“What are you guys talking about?”

Phichit’s sudden voice makes both Yuuri and Victor snap their heads up toward the doorway, as they simultaneously shout “Nothing!”

The young man looks completely confused as he glances back and forth between the two red faced men at the top of the bed, until his eyes finally land on the shit-eating grin of the one and only Chris. Understanding washes across his features in less than a second, followed closely by a smug grin of his own.

“Well, well, well…”

Victor and Yuuri both groan, as the former drops his head in defeat and the latter covers his face. The other two men burst out into laughter as they give each other a high five.

“Man, if I had known there was a pre-meeting get together I would’ve come sooner.”

The new voice makes everyone in the room look up to see Sara and Mila walking through the door, followed shortly by Georgi and Seung-gil.

“Considering we missed all the fun shall we get started?” Mila asks.

Victor takes a deep breath and clears his throat, avoiding looking in Yuuri’s direction as he responds. “Actually, we’re waiting for two more people to join us.”

As if on command, a knock is heard before the mysterious Otabek and a scowling blonde boy enter the room, closing the door behind them. Yuuri has become familiar with the doctor over the past week, and if he’s completely honest, the young man likes Otabek a fair bit, but he has never seen the skinny guy before. However, the constant anger radiating from the teen makes him uneasy, and he tries to push the threatened feeling aside in order to make a good first impression, because any friend of Otabek’s must be a good person.

“As most of you know, these two men are the ones responsible for saving Yuuri’s life.” Victor begins, glancing around the small, crowded room. “Yuuri,” the older man addresses him, looking over to meet his gaze, “you have already been introduced to Otabek, but this is his friend, Yuri. He is the man that knew where to find you.”

Yuuri looks confused for a brief second before he realizes that they share the same name. He looks over to the young boy who is glaring at him from the corner, but he tries to give his most grateful smile anyway.

“Thank you for saving my life, Yuri. I would have been dead if it wasn’t for you.”

The blonde simply grits his teeth before shifting his eyes to the floor. “Yeah, whatever.”

Yuuri’s small smile falls flat at the less than favorable response, and he looks back to Victor in order to understand what he did wrong. The taller man just gives him a sympathetic glance before turning back to the rest of the group, continuing on with his speech in an authoritative tone and brushing past the dismissal as if it never even happened.

“Now, what most of you don’t know, is that as payment for their services, I’ve agreed to let the two of them join us on the road when we leave town.”

Everyone starts eyeing the reactions of the others in the group. Most wear a look of concern while Chris remains straight faced, and it’s easy to tell that he was the only one who knew of Victor’s plan ahead of time.

“I know this isn’t how we normally recruit new members, but in light of the extenuating circumstances, we were forced to trust that these men were able to help us. Considering that they followed through with their half of the agreement and went above and beyond what was required of them, I made the decision to accept their terms of the deal.”

Victor pauses, letting his words settle over the group.

“Over the past few weeks, Chris and I have talked to them both privately, informing them of our situation and our goals. Even after regaling them with our mission statement, both Yuri and Otabek have agreed to travel with us until further notice, and so as of this moment, you may all start considering them a part of our crew. If anyone has any questions or concerns, feel free to talk to me later.”

“As of right now, Yuuri has pretty much made a full recovery. That being said, we have already spent more time here than we should, and we should leave town as soon as possible. I assume you have all already eaten a meal or two today, so I want everyone to start packing up the gear and loading it into the wagons. Don’t draw any unwanted attention, and if anyone sees anything suspicious, report it to me immediately.”

Yuuri takes a brief glance around the room, noting everyone’s serious expressions.

_‘Captain is a fitting title…’_

“As far as we know, the men who attacked Yuuri are working alone, and we took precautions to throw them off our trail, but stay vigilant. Chris and Georgi will be supervising and stationed as lookouts. Yuuri,” Victor turns his head to address the young man once again, “you will be staying indoors until the final moments of our departure just in case. You can still help pack, but as soon as we make our leave, I want you to put on my jacket and pull up the hood.”

Yuuri simply nods, not wanting to disrupt the flow of the man’s orders. Taking one last look around, Victor assesses the other members of his group.

“Right now it is still the early afternoon, and I want us to be ready to move out by nightfall in order to reduce our chances of being seen. Make sure you eat something before we leave, and we’ll set up camp three hours outside of the city. Currently, the plan is to make our way to the port city of Luften, which is where we will shack up for the rest of the winter. Hopefully we’ll make it there before the first major snowfall but be prepared, and make sure to keep your heavy jackets and footwear easily accessible in the wagons. Anyone that has a concern can stay behind to talk, but as of now, you are dismissed.”

As soon as Victor finishes, everyone files out of the room chattering among themselves, heading off to start the process of packing up everything they own. Even Yuri and Otabek don’t put up a fight as they head back to their own room without saying a word. Yuuri shouldn’t be so surprised to hear such an official statement coming from the captain of the group, let alone have every member follow orders without complaint, but something about Victor’s change in demeanor holds his attention.

_‘I guess these past few days we’ve gotten a lot closer… He doesn’t seem so strict when we’re together…’_

Once the last person has vacated the space, Yuuri realizes that Victor is still sitting on the bed next to him. He looks over to the older man who gives him a warm smile.

“Is everything okay?” Victor asks.

Yuuri nods. “I don’t think I’m used to you being so serious.”

“I’m usually not,” he admits, “but when the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

Once again, the young man just nods and looks away, assessing the various items scattered around the room that need to be packed.

“Yuuri?”

At the mention of his name, he immediately looks back over to the older man, only to find concern etched into azure eyes.

“This might be a little uncomfortable, but I need to ask you something.”

The vague explanation immediately makes his heart rate increase slightly, and he attempts to keep a neutral expression as he answers.

“S-sure.” He clears his throat. “What is it?”

Victor looks away, and after a moment, Yuuri sees how tense the other man actually is. He reaches out and works his hand into the pale digits of a clenched fist, squeezing tight to show that he’s not going anywhere. Holding hands has now become a constant reassurance for the two of them, and after a few seconds, Victor manages to speak once more.

“When you were taken… W-were you… D-did they…”

The silver haired man falters, seemingly unable to say the words, but Yuuri isn’t sure what the full question could be. He squeezes their hands again, not just to comfort the other man but himself as well. Thinking back to his kidnapping is not an enjoyable experience, and he can feel the giant ball of anxiety beginning to twist in his stomach, but he is trying to be strong for Victor.

“It’s okay. You can ask.”

His voice comes out much more confident than he imagined it would, but it seems to do the trick as Victor looks up to meet his worried gaze.

“They didn’t do anything… sexual… did they?”

Yuuri is shocked Victor would even be thinking of that, but as he recalls his experience he has to look away.

“N-no…” He mutters. “Not physically at least…”

Now Victor is the one squeezing his hand. The man doesn’t say anything more, obviously waiting patiently for Yuuri to take his time and continue if he chooses. The small gesture is something he is eternally thankful for, and his appreciation for the other man’s consideration makes something warm float up and marginally ease the worry building up in his core.

Finally making his choice, Yuuri looks down to fiddle with his pants, hesitating before he finally speaks in a low tone.

“The boss of the group… He was the one that did each and every horrible thing to me… No one else ever laid a hand on me… But there were several times when he would tell me things as he worked…”

Victor stays silent, letting him speak freely before rubbing his thumb over Yuuri’s knuckles when he takes a brief pause. Talking about it is harder than he thought, and he hates that he is able to vividly remember some things that he would rather forget.

“…He always called me pretty…”

Yuuri’s breath catches on the last word, and he was not expecting it to create such a large lump in his throat, but the single adjective floods his mind with more unwelcome memories. It is almost as if he has been transported back to the dark, dingy, basement, and he can hear the crackling of fire alongside the heavy breathing of a man towering above him. He feels the ghosting sensations of cuts and burns no longer present, and with it, he vividly remembers the gruff sound of the boss’ voice rumbling in his ear.

A firm pressure on his hand anchors him to the present.

“It’s okay Yuuri, I’m right here.”

Victor’s soft voice rings through his mind like a bell, leading him back to safety and reassuring him that he’s not alone. Swallowing hard, he tries to continue.

“H-he would tell me how it was such a shame that he had to destroy such a–”, he sucks in another breath, “such a beautiful body… And every minute that he spent with me, he would run his hand or finger tips across my cheek… As if he was cherishing and appreciating the way I looked when I was so scared… and in so much pain…”

Victor’s grip becomes tighter with every word, and Yuuri can barely hear the man’s breathing becoming deeper and more forceful over his own accelerating heartbeat.

“In the end, he said it was a shame he had to kill me…” He admits, pausing in order to take a deep, shaky breath before continuing. “B-because then we could have had some ‘real’ fun…”

The next think he knows, Victor is pulling him against his chest, and he can feel that the man’s shirt is oddly damp.

_‘Wait… When did I start crying?’_

The older man wraps his arms around him and buries his face in his raven hair.

“I’m so sorry, Yuuri…” Victor breathes out.

As his mind finally catches up, he quickly responds and reaches out to pull the man closer, taking deep breaths and seeking out the warm source of comfort right in front of him. After a few moments of silent tears, Victor speaks up once again, slightly tilting his head up in order to whisper out his next words just above the crown of his head.

“Is it okay if I ask you something else?”

Yuuri can’t see why not, considering he’s already crying again he might as well get it over with, and so he nods into the taller man’s chest.

“Did they ever say anything that might seem important in any way? Like how many people are in their group or who they might be involved with?”

Yuuri takes a minute to think.

“U-um…” He sniffles. “When I first woke up the leader was asking me about a weapon that they were going to sell on the black market for a lot of money…”

He can feel Victor nod against his head.

“Anything else?” The man prompts.

“I uh, I don’t know who the boss is, everyone always just called him boss, but I was able to hear a few names of his men. Although they are all very common names…”

Victor moves a hand to cup the back of Yuuri’s head, lightly combing his fingers through his hair.

“Tell me them anyway.”

Yuuri sniffles again, relaxing under the gentle ministrations of long fingers running along his scalp.

“There was Parker, and Keith… I think there was a John… then Adam, Alec, and Derek…”

“Do you remember anything else?”

Again, he unfortunately tries to recall the events that led them here, but the longer he stayed in that basement the more his memories started to become fragmented. Otabek did say he was delirious when they found him, and he doesn’t even remember the rescue ever happening. He struggles for a few more moments before reluctantly shaking his head.

“I feel like there’s something else… Something important… but I don’t remember… I’m sorry…”

Victor is quick to reassure the young man.

“No, there is no reason to be sorry. You did so good Yuuri. Thank you for telling me.”

He gives a shaky nod, not believing the man’s words but too comfortable in his arms to argue.

After a few minutes that they spend embracing each other, Victor eventually pulls back, and he must see the tear tracks running down his cheeks because he reaches up to wipe them away before suddenly coming to a halt.

“I-is this okay?” He asks.

Yuuri nods, touched by the thought, and it makes Victor produce a small smile. Finally the older man’s hand cups his face, and his thumb gently brushes against his cheek. The soothing gesture makes Yuuri’s eyes close and he unconsciously leans into the man’s touch.

“Did you need help packing?” Victor whispers.

The simple question brings him back to reality, and he takes a deep breath in to compose himself as he opens his eyes, giving the man a smile and reluctantly moving back over to his side of the bed. He tries not to think about the sudden lack of warmth as he looks around his small room, eyeing the combination of both of their belongings strewn around from the past week of staying together.

“I think we both do…” He says still glancing around, and he turns back to look the taller man in the eye as he continues. “But if you help me, I’ll help you.”

Victor responds with a wide grin. “Deal.”


	30. Two Yuri's Walk into a Bar

Victor and Yuuri set about cleaning up and packing the items they have with them into their backpacks, with a few shirts tossed back and forth as they attempt to tidy up the mild disarray that accumulated over the past week. It doesn’t take long for them to finish gathering their belongings from the main room, and once they are convinced that they have everything, they carry their bags out into the hall.

 

The older man locks the door behind them and pockets the key, taking a few short steps across the corridor and pulling out an identical metal key for the adjacent room. Victor’s old room has remained vacant ever since Yuuri woke up, but just in case something was left behind, the tall man takes a quick peek before securing the second room as well.

 

Next they start bringing their bags downstairs to the ground floor, but it isn’t long before they hear a cacophony of muffled shouting and heavy footfalls racing down the third floor hallway. Not even halfway down the second staircase, the sound of stomping of boots rounds the first landing before continuing to descend the stairs behind them.

 

“Out of my way assholes!”

 

Within a matter of seconds, a riled up Yuri storms past them, shoving them to one side of the narrow staircase without losing any momentum. Victor is lucky enough to be on the side of least destruction, but Yuuri almost trips when he’s forced towards the wall. Luckily the other man is there to grab his arm and steady him, but by the time he regains his footing, Yuri is already on the ground floor and turning into the dining hall.

 

“Is he always like this?” Yuuri asks, almost afraid of the answer.

 

Victor sighs. “Unfortunately I’ve only talked to him a handful of times, but for each conversation he does tend to be a little… aggressive…”

 

“I think you mean rude.” Yuuri replies, shifting the weight of his bag on his shoulder.

 

The older man releases his grip and gives a half smile. “Are you okay?”

 

Yuuri nods and they continue their descent to the bottom. Although intending to head in the opposite direction, he stops to peek into the restaurant to see what the young, angry boy is up to. There are only a few people at the bar since it is currently the lull between lunch and dinner, but he can easily spot a mop of blonde hair resting against a table in the far corner. He feels a hand rest on his shoulder, and he turns to see familiar calming blue iris’ staring at him with mild concern.

 

“Would you mind taking this to the back?” He asks, removing his backpack and holding it out to the other man.

 

Victor raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

 

Yuuri nods, but Victor stares at him for a moment longer, clearly questioning the young man’s motives before he quickly comes to a decision and accepts the bag.

 

“Thanks. I should only be a few minutes.”

 

With that, he turns and heads straight towards the young man moping in the corner. As he approaches, he tries to make his footsteps audible so that the other Yuri isn’t surprised, and as he reaches the table, he places one hand on the back of the chair opposite to the teen.

 

“Is this seat taken?” He politely inquires.

 

All he hears is a muffled response, but since there is no projectile hurtling at his face he takes the risk and lowers himself into the chair. Obviously Yuri is still not expecting anyone to join him, as the boy looks up to start telling whoever it is to fuck off when his harsh teal eyes land on Yuuri. The teen’s face immediately switches from annoyed to aggravated with the click of his tongue.

 

“What do you want, pig?”

 

Yuuri is taken aback by the cruel nickname, but he quickly schools his expression in order to make it through the conversation.

 

“Is something wrong, Yuri?”

 

The boy’s scowl deepens.

 

“Why the fuck would you care?”

 

“I just want to make sure you’re okay. I know how scary it is leaving home for the first time.”

 

“I’m not fucking scared.” The boy bites back. “And if you saw my house you wouldn’t be so inclined to call it a home. Also I’m not a fucking child, so stop talking to me like I’m ten.”

 

Yuuri leans back in his chair, unconsciously trying to relieve some of the growing tension.

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

 

Yuri clicks his tongue once again. “Yeah, whatever. At least I’m not stupid enough to be kidnapped by the fucking mob.”

 

The raven haired man can’t help the small glare that develops at the uncalled for comment, but the blonde immediately picks up on the tiny rebellion and scowls in response.

 

“What? You think that just because I helped those idiots find you that I actually like you? Well think again. I’ve gone through enough bullshit in the past week than you’ve probably had in your entire life, so I’m sorry if I’m not jumping up and down at the chance to be your friend. You don’t know anything about my shitty life so don’t act like you know me.”

 

"If you don't care then why did you help them find me?"

 

“I didn’t do it for free, shithead.”

 

Yuuri can feel the built up fury radiating off the young boy in waves, and he simply sits there in silence, unsure of how to respond. Eventually Yuri’s defensive contempt wears off, and he lays his head back down on his arms, head tilted to the side and glaring at the wall. The blonde has yet to say anything along the lines of telling him to go away, and so Yuuri thinks that the teen still might be open to talk.

 

“I’m sorry if I did something to upset you…” He cautiously begins, and with no response from Yuri, he continues. “And you’re right. I don’t know anything about you or your life. If you don’t want to be friends that’s fine, but I do still want to thank you again for doing something to help a complete stranger. I know you and Otabek are very close, and any friend of Otabek’s must be an exceptional individual, so I guess I’m just hoping to catch a glimpse of who that person might be.”

 

The boy sighs, his eyes don’t move an inch to acknowledge Yuuri, but the scowl slightly slips from his face.

 

“It’s not your fault…” He mumbles.

 

The sudden change in Yuri’s demeanor catches him off guard, and his words almost sound like an apology. To avoid upsetting him even further, Yuuri chooses his next words carefully.

 

“Is there something on your mind?”

 

The answer can be a simple yes or no, but the way he phrased the question also allows the teen an opportunity to elaborate if he so wishes. A moment passes before Yuri opens his mouth and promptly closes it without saying a word. Yuuri can tell there is a debate happening inside the young man’s mind, and so he waits patiently, leaning forward and resting his arms on the table. After a few more seconds, Yuri sits upright in his chair, looking down at the grain of the wood before he begins to talk in a low whisper.

 

“Beka is leaving his family behind to come with me… and I keep telling him that they need him more than I do, but he won’t listen to me when I tell him to stay…”

 

Yuuri is almost taken aback by the lack of aggression and the amount of concern laced in the young man’s voice. Taking it as a cue to proceed, he continues on.

 

“What about you?”

 

“Me?” The teen scoffs. “What about me? I have no family left that will give two shits if I stay or go. Besides, I need to get out of this town before my luck runs out anyway... But for Beka, his whole life is here, and I don’t want to take him away from that... I just don’t know what to do to make him realize that…”

 

It is astounding how much the boy has changed within the span of a minute. The uncertainty and vulnerability is evident in the teen’s voice, and he looks like he is trying to make himself as small as he possibly can in his chair.

 

“Well, it is his decision to make…”

 

That’s the only response Yuuri can think of right away, but it earns him a rage filled sneer from the blonde. Realizing his advice will make or break any chance he has with establishing sone kind of relationship with him, he quickly tries to explain.

 

“I just mean, Otabek is an adult, and he is able to make these kinds of decisions on his own, much like your decision to leave town. I’m sure he doesn’t want to just up and leave his family for nothing, he must have a good reason for it.”

 

“What possible reason could he have that is good enough to leave everyone that he cares about behind?”

 

The boy’s response makes an idea pop into his head.

 

“What if they’re not the only ones he really cares for?”

 

Yuri obviously wasn’t expecting the response, and he can see the young man’s face light up in recognition before he turns his face away and attempts to hide an obvious blush.

****

“What does it take to get some good food around here?”

 

The question is clearly a diversion from the topic. Yuuri doesn’t want to push his luck and ruin his potential chances of avoiding future name calling and threats, so he simply accepts the abrupt stop and moves on.

 

“The food is pretty decent,” he shrugs, rolling with the subject change, “definitely not as good as my mother’s cooking, but it’s alright.”

 

“What’s so special about your mom’s food?”

 

“Well for starters, she is the only person I know that can make Katsudon.”

 

“Katsudon?” The teen asks, twisting his face into a sour expression. “What the fuck is that?”

 

Yuuri gasps. “It’s absolutely delicious. The dish is a hearty portion of rice mixed with eggs, vegetables, soya sauce, and a breaded pork cutlet fried in boiling oil to top it off. It is absolutely divine.”

 

“Sounds like obesity in a bowl.”

 

“But so worth it.” Yuuri replies, propping up his chin with a hand and dreamily staring off across the bar.

 

Yuri huffs out a laugh. “Geez, it sounds like you’re ready to marry the damn thing.”

 

He shrugs, leaving the gesture open for interpretation. Now that they’ve more or less cleared the air between them, there’s a lull in the conversation, and Yuuri isn’t quite sure how to continue since the topic of food was a not so subtle attempt at misdirection. Just as he’s about to go back to helping people pack, he hears Yuri speak up.

 

“Is it true?”

 

The unprompted and vague question makes him tilt his head.

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“Is it true?” The teen reiterates. “Are you…?”

 

Although unfinished, he quickly understands. There aren’t many topics that people keep on the down low, and being a magician is at the top of that list. He appreciates the young man’s discretion however, even though he may be loud and unruly he is at least smart.

 

“Ya…”

 

Yuri nods, green eyes never leaving brown. “Beka told me… I hope you don’t mind.”

 

“As long as you’re not going to advertise it to the world I think we’ll be okay.” Yuuri says as he gives him a small smile.

 

“And for what it’s worth… I’m sorry… For what they did to you…”

 

Yuuri feels a sadly familiar tinge of fear and pain rush through his body, forcing him to look away.

 

“Thanks… And thank you for telling everyone where to find me…”

 

He looks back up to see the teen looking down as well, simply nodding his head.

 

“I’ve already expressed my thoughts to your friend, but Otabek is also very kind to help me the way he did… Victor told me that it wasn’t originally part of the deal….”

 

This makes the corner of Yuri’s mouth quirk up. “Ya… he’s like that…”

 

 Yuuri smiles when the young teen makes eye contact once more.

 

“I hope that both of you will be okay joining our little group.”

 

The sentence makes the boy’s lip press into a firm line.

 

“Yeah… At least you’re better than that fucking prick of an asshole, Chris.”

 

The comment forces a laugh out of Yuuri.

 

“If he so much as says one more disgusting word I’m seriously going to cut off his dick.”

 

Yuuri winces at the image. “I’ll let him know to ease off a little.”

 

This earns him a smile from the young man.

 

“Thanks Katsudon.”

 

“Um, it’s Yuuri Katsuki, not Katsudon.”

 

“I know, but it’s way too strange calling someone else by my own name, not to mention Katsuki just sounds weird, so you’re gonna be Katsudon from now on, alright?”

 

The statement sounds more like a demand than an explanation, and it’s better than being called a pig so Yuuri simply accepts the nickname and smiles.

 

“Now, since you’re not allowed outside, will you at least help me carry these bags to the back door?”

 

Yuuri looks down beside their table and eyes the three large backpacks the young boy was lugging down the stairs when he was unceremoniously shoved to the side.

 

“Sure.”

 

As the pair stands up, the older man is quick to grab and hoist up two bags onto his shoulders before Yuri can even blink. He sends the teen a smile before turning and heading straight out of the dinner hall. Rounding the far corner of the stairs, he is greeted with the sight of Victor, laughing and smiling next to Chris by the back door. A wide grin reflexively slides into place as he moves towards the two men, but his eyes never leave the silver haired man’s face. As soon as the duo acknowledges someone else in the hallway, they both turn to see who it is, and the second Victor recognizes Yuuri, his huge, stupid smile is reciprocated.

 

“How did it go?” Victor is quick to ask.

 

Yuuri places the bags on the floor, contributing to the small pile that is already rapidly accumulating.

 

“I think it went pretty good.” He responds, smile unwavering.

 

“What are you two talking about?” Chris pipes up next to them.

 

“Yuuri just went to have a little chat with our newest and feistiest member.”

 

“Ooh~”

 

Chris’ singsong voice easily gives away his true intentions.

 

“Playing with the baby kitten are you?”

 

“I told you before dip-shit!”

 

They all turn at the sudden noise, and if the yelling didn’t identify the fourth person down the hall than the swearing certainly finished the job.

 

“I’m not a fucking kitten!”

 

A furious Yuri stomps towards the back door, roughly throwing his backpack onto the pile and attempting to kill Chris with his piercing stare.

 

The man simply raises an eyebrow, smile still stuck on his face.

 

“Would you like me to call you something else?”

 

“I don’t want you to call me anything!”

 

“Now, now.” Chris chides. “No need to get your panties in a twist, tiger.”

 

The look Yuri is giving the man is enough to make Victor and Yuuri throw a cautious glance at each other and take a step back. The young blonde is gritting his teeth and clenching his fists by his sides, with an undeniable look of hatred flooding his eyes.

 

“My. Name. Is. Yuri.” He says through his teeth.

 

“Well I’m sorry,” Chris says as he slides up next to Yuuri, throwing an arm around his shoulders, “but my dearest Yuuri already has the honor of that title, so you’ll have to pick something else.”

 

The teen’s rage is flowing off of him once again, and Yuuri hates himself for being dragged into the awkward situation.

 

“I-it’s okay Chris…” Yuuri tries.

 

“I’ve got it!” Victor shouts.

 

Everyone becomes silent, and they all turn to face the older man, waiting for his explanation.

 

“We’ll call the new Yuri, Yurio!”

 

“What!?” Yuri’s face rapidly morphs from enraged to offended. “The fuck you will! That’s not my name!”

 

“But we can’t have two of you running around with the same name!” Victor complains. “It will be way too confusing!”

 

“Then call the pig Katsudon!”

 

Yuuri frowns. He thought the name calling was over after they talked, but apparently not.

 

“Yuuri is older and has been with the group longer, besides, that’s what the locals in Karnic always called you, so as your new Captain, I use my authority to designate your new name as Yurio. All opposed?”

 

Yuri’s hand shoots straight up, but a quick glance around the hall shows no one else voting against the motion.

 

“Then it’s settled.” Victor states. “Welcome to the group, Yurio!”

 

The blonde casts a look of betrayal toward Yuuri, who tries to give his best apologetic smile. Acknowledging his loss, Yuri loudly groans and lets his hand fall back to his side.

 

“I hate all of you!”

 

With a sharp turn, the teen quickly heads back down the hallway and stomps his way back up the stairs.

 

“Well… That went better than I expected.”

 

Yuuri rolls his eyes at Chris’ comment.

 

“You could have been less of a dick you know…”

 

The man gasps. “Is that all I am to you, Yuuri!? Just another dick!?”

 

Yuuri sighs and drops his head, knowing that there is no way to win against the man’s crazy antics.

 

“Let’s just keep packing, it’s almost dusk.”


	31. Back on the Road

It’s a cold evening. Frost bites the earth and heated breaths can be seen erupting from horses and humans alike. Small fires illuminate the streets thanks to the numerous lamps, safe from the howling winds in their glass houses. The wooden wheels of wagons rattle against the cobblestone roads, and the distinct sound of hooves trotting along the hard, rocky surface echoes through the silent night. A group of cloaked figures with three carriages and four single riders heads out of town, moving quickly towards the east end of the city as everyone else stays inside their homes being warmed by the fire and enjoying a nice hot dinner.

 

Eventually the group makes it to the edge of town with no signs of anyone else in sight. Breathing a sigh of relief, Yuuri marginally relaxes, leaning back against the small backrest of the first wagon. Looking to his left, he watches Mila as she effortlessly maneuvers the carriage along the winding path into the forest of evergreens, completely straight faced and focus as sharp as a knife. His attention then moves to the road ahead, and he can see Victor and Chris on their horses a little ways in front of them, keeping closer to the carts than they normally would.

 

Everything is going smoothly, and Yuuri can’t help but think that he’s still forgetting something important. Wringing his hands in his lap, he forces himself to think through everything that happened after he woke up in that horrid room once more, and he knows that there are some bits and pieces that he’s missing. Things people said that he didn’t focus on at the time, something small that he should of noticed if he wasn’t too busy trying to ignore the pain or the promise of death.

 

As he worries his mind through the possibilities, they continue their journey away from town, and he watches as the moonlight quickly becomes scattered along the ground by the swaying trees above. The wind is whistling through the branches, and he pulls Victor’s jacket tighter around his lithe body, seeking protection from the penetrating chill. The older man insisted that he wear something of his in order to better conceal his identity, just in case someone caught sight of them leaving town, and he had no reason to argue. Not only is the large, dark jacket a good disguise, but it is also warm and oddly comfortable, and if it smells faintly like the older man Yuuri keeps that information to himself.

 

After a few hours of riding, they finally come across a sizable clearing in the middle of the dense forest, and as the caravan pulls over, everyone hops off to begin setting up to camp for the night. The workload is considerably easier when no one needs to go out hunting or make dinner, but this time they now have two more bodies milling about.

 

“Oi! Katsudon!”

 

Yuuri looks up from assembling his tent with Phichit to see Yuri and Otabek walking towards them.

 

“Katsudon?” He hears Phichit ask.

 

“I’ll explain later.”

 

Both men pause their work, straighten, and direct their attention to the two newbies stopping a few feet in front of them.

 

“What’s the matter Yuri?”

 

“Are you able to lend us any camping supplies?”

 

“Oh.” Yuuri blinks.

 

_‘At least I’m not the only one that came along underprepared.’_

 

“Um, as far as I know, I took Mila’s extra so I don’t think we have any more…”

 

Yuri’s face falls ever so slightly.

 

“Oh… okay… I guess we’ll figure something else out then…”

 

Before they can turn and walk away, Phichit pipes up.

 

“I have an idea!”

 

The three of them turn to face the unexpected problem solver.

 

“You two can use Yuuri’s tent and he’ll just bunk with me!”

 

Yuuri’s not sure if the man wants to ease the young one’s disappointment or has been wanting to bunk up for a while, but his proposed solution is probably the best one they have. He looks back to Yuri and Otabek to gauge their reactions, and even though the dark haired man is straight faced as always, Yuri looks mildly concerned.

 

“Are you sure?” The blonde asks.

 

Yuuri nods. “It’s ok, I don’t mind”

 

This makes the teen break out into a smile.

 

“Thanks Katsudon.”

 

“No problem. Do you two know how to set it up?”

 

Otabek finally speaks up. “I’m sure we can manage. Thank you for your help.”

 

Yuuri and Phichit nod, and they leave the pair with one of the half finished tents, walking the few paces back over to the other one they have yet to build.

 

“If you want to start setting up I can go back to the wagon and grab our bags.” Yuuri offers.

 

“Sounds good!” Phichit happily chirps.

 

With that, he turns around and heads to the three covered carriages, and as he rounds the back corner he accidentally bumps into someone else, knocking a bag from their hands.

 

“I’m sorry!” Yuuri says, looking up.

 

His gaze is met with familiar blue eyes and silky hair, and the older man is smiling at him without even sparing a moment to look back at the backpack now lying on the ground.

 

“Fancy meeting you here.” The taller man says, grin widening with every passing second.

 

Yuuri smiles back.

 

“Sorry about your bag.”

 

Victor shrugs, eyes never straying from his own. “I’ve never liked that bag anyway.”

 

The comment makes Yuuri giggle, and the sound makes Victor’s face light up in return.

 

“You’re ridiculous.”

 

“I try.”

 

The pair smile at each other for another moment, and Yuuri thinks he sees something shimmer in the man’s bright blue, ocean eyes.

 

_‘He’s so beautiful…’_

 

The thought is similar to many that he’s had since he was introduced to the man in front of him, and he takes a few seconds to let his mind wander.

 

_‘How can somebody be so incredibly, pretty… His eyes are so pigmented and yet they shine like they hold all the stars in the sky… And how can he possibly have such perfect hair? Even in the wind it looks unnaturally natural… Not to mention how incredibly well built he is… With defined muscles and a distinct jaw line… And how can his chest be as hard as a rock and yet at the same time make the most comfortable pillow?’_

 

The last image makes his cheeks tint a light pink, but he hopes the dark of night is enough to hide it from Victor. A few mornings when they shared his room, they ended up tangled up together when they woke up, and although he was incredibly embarrassed, the older man always wrapped his arms around him and held on to him tighter. Those moments were always when the chant of ‘safe, warm, safe,’ constantly assaulted his mind, and not even once did he try to pull away.

 

The train of thought increases his blush, and he can see the man’s lips quirk up into a knowing smile as their eyes speak a silent conversation. The moonlight shining down on the pair gives them enough light to make out some of the smaller details, and as Yuuri continues to admire Victor, another thought pops into his head.

 

_‘I never want to leave him….’_

 

The crazy idea flashes through his mind for barely a second, but once it does, he can’t help but think of how much he really enjoys spending time with the other man. Their conversations are always interesting, they laugh at each other’s jokes, they find comfort in the other’s presence, and they never push any boundaries, always meeting each other in the middle. Since the first day that they met, they’ve only gotten closer and closer with every minute, and Yuuri knows he would be heart broken if Victor walked out of his life. Just admitting that makes him think that he has never wanted to hold onto a person more than the silver haired dork in front of him.

 

His thought process runs through his mind in a fraction of a second before coming to a screeching halt, and all of a sudden he finds himself teetering on the edge of a cliff.

 

_‘Holy fuck I think I’m gay.’_

 

Looking back, it really should have been more obvious considering he never got as close to anyone else in his life other than Victor, that and the fact that he was never interested in finding a girlfriend or starting a family back home. And yet as soon as he laid eyes on the older man he was constantly bombarded by intrusive thoughts revolving around the man’s gorgeous looks and syrupy sweet smile that matched his personality through and through. Every moment they spent together threw him headfirst into a never-ending display of rosy cheeks accompanied by what he can now recognize as a monstrous swarm of butterflies in his stomach. Not to mention that all those times he didn’t know how to respond to the man just so happened to be when he was trying to flirt and Yuuri simply didn’t know how to interpret the overwhelming situation. However, his unconscious definitely seemed to have the right idea when they shared a bed. After the first time that he woke up in Victor’s lap, they naturally started making their way closer to one another in their sleep until they eventually started waking up in each other’s arms.

 

Now that he finally understands what his body has been telling him this whole time, it’s laughable how easily he should have put two and two together sooner. Those moments when he felt disappointed for no reason were always when Victor was potentially moving one step farther away from him. Then there was the times when it was just the two of them and he could barely suppress the feelings of warmth, security, and happiness that he felt by being able to stay by the older man’s side. Just thinking about everything they have done together starts to bring a freshly bloomed flush all the way up to his ears.

 

_'Holy fuck I’m gay…’_

 

And off the cliff he falls. On the plus side he knows for a fact that the man standing in front of him is in fact gay as well, and so he won’t have to play a game of is he or isn’t he when it comes to his sexuality. But now that the option is on the table, he has to figure out if this is something that they both want, and not just an unrequited love story thanks to his own overactive imagination.

 

All of a sudden, someone else walks around the corner heading to one of the other wagons, interrupting the small moment. Victor clears his throat as they both unconsciously take a small step back, clearing a small space in between them.

 

“You know, it’s gonna be weird not staying in the same room together anymore…” Victor practically mumbles.

 

The older man looks towards the ground for the first time since Yuuri showed up, inspecting the dirt as if he doesn’t want to see his reaction to the comment.

 

“Ya...” He easily agrees, voice a little more breathy than usual.

 

“Did you need help setting up your tent?” The older man asks, raising his head back up with a hopeful expression on his face. “Or would you like to just help with mine?”

 

Yuuri’s heart skips a beat.

 

_‘Oh my god he wants us to sleep together again.’_

 

The elated feeling and dopey grin quickly dissipate once he remembers why he came back to the wagons in the first place.

 

“Um… Actually… I’m bunking with Phichit…”

 

Yuuri’s not sure why but he almost feels guilty telling Victor, and he thinks he sees disappointment fill the silver haired man’s face. Rushing to bring back the beautiful smile, he attempts to explain.

 

“It’s just that Yuri and Otabek needed a tent of their own and we didn’t have any extra, so Phichit offered to let me stay with him and they could share one to themselves…”

 

The look on Victor’s face almost seems offended, and so Yuuri keeps rambling, trying to soothe the sour expression.

 

“I couldn’t just leave them out in the cold, so it was the only option... Phichit was the one that wanted to sleep with me in the first place.”

 

Victor’s eyebrow twitches, and he immediately realizes what he said.

 

“I just mean that he offered to share his tent with me! In fact he practically jumped on the opportunity! But he doesn’t want to _sleep_ sleep with me! And I don’t want to _sleep_ sleep with him, I just want to sleep with him.”

 

Now the older man’s lips press into a firm line.

 

“I mean sleep next to him! I want to sleep next to him! Not with him! Not like that! Just like what you and I did back at the inn!”

 

That was obviously the wrong thing to say, because Yuuri can tell that Victor is trying his hardest not to look sad or angry, but the man’s expressive eyes mirror his heart breaking.

 

“I’m sorry.” He reflexively says. “I didn’t mean it like that…”

 

“Apparently not.”

 

The curt comment feels as sharp as a knife.

 

“It’s fine Yuuri. You can sleep with whoever you want.”

 

The lilt in the man’s tone screams fake enthusiasm.

 

“Victor, it’s not like that. I wouldn’t want to do that kind of stuff anyway.”

 

“Oh…” The cadence in the man’s voice has turned rigid, and it is filled to the brim with a passive aggressiveness as he continues. “Well then, have fun _sleeping_ with Phichit.”

 

Before he can say anything else, Victor turns away, sweeping his arm down to scoop up his bag in one fluid motion as he continues to walk back to the tents. Yuuri stutters, trying to think of something that he could call out that would fix everything, but he only manages to stammer out nonsensical sounds. Watching the man quickly disappear, he groans and reaches up to pull at his hair while simultaneously turning toward the carriage and banging his head down on one of the wooden beams.

 

“Fuck…”

 

He takes a deep breath in and tries to push back the frustration he can feel threatening to explode from inside of him. Hitting his head a few more times for good measure, he attempts to relax a little as he moves to locate his and Phichit’s belongings before heading back to his new tent for the night.

 

Walking back, he ruminates on the god awful conversation, thinking about how it could have easily gone a hundred times better. He managed to have a pleasant conversation, an epiphany that he is gay, and then he somehow pulled off an act of pure idiocy that screwed himself over, all within a matter of minutes. Sighing once again, he at least successfully thinks of two positive outcomes that were a result of the previous catastrophe. One, he is now fairly sure that he is gay, or at least gay for Victor. Two, he is inclined to believe that after Victor’s response and considering the man’s treatment of him in the past, the older man might actually like him back, even though he’s a colossal idiot.

 

Nearing his shared accommodation, he tries his best to hide his inner turmoil as he throws the two bags into the tent and crawls in after them. Inside he sees Phichit moving the packs to the far end of the space, and he plops down on one of the bed rolls without saying a word.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Phichit is quick to pick up on his mood, and considering that it is hard to hide anything from his new friend, he considers asking for advice.

 

“P, have you ever liked anyone?”

 

The topic of gossip immediately grasps the man’s attention, like offering a child a frozen ice pop on a hot summer’s day, and he watches as the tan man spins around, crosses his legs, and leans forward, ready for the latest scoop.

 

“Why of course I have! Why? Do you have something that you’d like to share?”

 

The level of enthusiasm and smug grin plastered on Phichit’s face make Yuuri think he might be making the wrong decision in telling him, but he doesn’t have many other options. Looking away, he makes his choice.

 

“I uh… I think I might be gay…”

 

Phichit waits silently, patiently letting him take his time and say everything he needs to say before responding.

 

“And I… I think I might like Victor…”

 

Yuuri knows his blush is rising all the way to his ears as he finally admits it out loud, and if it wasn’t large enough earlier, Phichit’s smile has become inhuman.

 

“Finally!” The young man cries. “It took you long enough!”

 

Yuuri goes from embarrassed to confused in a heartbeat, immediately looking up at his new best friend.

 

“Finally?”

 

Phichit nods. “It started off as everyone making bets on whether or not you were gay, and then that quickly changed to whether or not you knew you were gay, and then that created another bet for how long it would take you to figure out that you’re pretty much in love with Victor!”

 

Yuuri’s mouth drops. “What!?” He squeaks.

 

“Oh come on _Yuuri~_. If you’re not ogling the other man from across the room than it’s because you’re too busy flirting with each other up close and personal if you know what I mean.”

 

The man wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, and the attention makes Yuuri want to crawl in a hole and die.

 

“But I didn’t even know I was gay until five minutes ago!”

 

Phichit just leans back on his arms. “The heart wants what it wants Yuuri, and it can’t be more obvious since you’re wearing yours on your sleeve.”

 

Yuuri hunches over, accepting his defeat that apparently everyone else knew that he was gay for Victor before he even knew himself. The man sitting across from lets out an amused laugh, but it quickly transforms into a bout of giddiness as they make eye contact once again and he proceeds to bounce up and down on the spot with a dopy grin and excitement oozing from his pores.

 

“So, does this mean you guys are gonna get together now?”

 

Yuuri sighs, remembering his previous conversation before he came back to the tent. “Not exactly…”

 

The somber mood quickly causes Phichit to rein in his happy outburst.

 

“Why not?” The man frowns. “No offense Yuuri, but you’re only the second most obvious person in this group, and I’ll give you a hint, the first one is Victor.”

 

A glimmer of hope rises in Yuuri’s heart.

 

“So… he does? L-like me?”

 

A swirl of butterflies fills his entire body as he says the words and considers the possibility. At the same time that it gives him an outburst of elation and joy, it also drags him down with overwhelming fear and anxiety. He’s not sure if he wants to know the answer to his question, but it’s already too late.

 

_‘What if he doesn’t actually like me? What if after everything I said he changed his mind? Why would he waste his time with someone like me anyway?’_

 

There are so many negative ‘what ifs’ running through his mind that his breathing starts to become labored. Panic edges its way in and everything seems like it is already too much and too soon. A firm hold on his hand pulls him back to reality, and he looks up to see the deep concern etched on Phichit’s face. The man’s warm brown eyes feel like their own source of comfort as Yuuri stares at his friend, slowly coming down from the anxiety attack.

 

“Yuuri.” Phichit’s voice is clear and confident. “You have nothing to worry about. That man would do anything for you.”

 

Squeezing his friend’s hand tighter, he uses it as an anchor as his mind forces him to ask once more just to be sure.

 

“So… He does?”

 

Phichit rolls his eyes. “Yes, you lovesick idiot. He likes you.”

 

A wave of relief floods his body, and it is accompanied by excitement, giddiness, nerves, joy, and eventually regret. His face falls once more.

 

“Well it might be kind of late for that… We sort of had a falling out a couple of minutes ago…”

 

Phichit gasps. “What!? What happened?”

 

Fiddling with his hands, he stares down at them in his lap as he continues.

 

“We were talking… And it was going fine until I mentioned that you and I were bunking together… After that everything kind of went downhill… And in the end I may or may not have given him reason to believe that I wasn’t interested in being gay in any way, shape, or form…”

 

A loud smack causes Yuuri to look up, and he sees Phichit with his palm against his forehead as he shakes his head at the floor.

 

“For fucks sake Yuuri… You can’t even come out of the closet the right way.”

 

Another flush covers his face at the same time as shame fills him to the core.

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

The words slip out as if on command, and Phichit’s head snaps up to stare at him in shock.

 

“What are you telling me that for!? Get your lazy ass up and go apologize to the moping god on earth five tents down!”

 

The few words cause the heat in his cheeks to dramatically increase.

 

“You really think I should go talk to him now? What if he doesn’t want to speak to me?”

 

Phichit sighs. “Yuuri, have you ever been in a relationship before?”

 

The young man just shakes his head.

 

“Well then, let me tell you rule number one, never go to bed angry. If you two had a falling out than I’m sure as hell he’d want you to go to him and prove your undying love.”

 

“We’re not in love!” Yuuri weakly argues.

 

Phichit laughs. “Yeah, right. Either way, you have a confession to make, and you can’t do that sitting in here with me now can you?”

 

The man does have a point.

 

“Okay… But what should I say?”

 

“Just tell him you’re an idiot and that you’re actually super gay for him. Actually, scratch that. Tell him you’re the biggest imbecile in the world and that meeting him made you the god of clueless gay people.”

 

Now it’s Yuuri’s turn to roll his eyes.

 

“Well I think you’re the biggest imbecile in the world.” He retorts.

 

“What are you still doing here!?” Phichit shouts. “Go win him back!”

 

Yuuri throws his hands up in defeat.

 

“Fine, fine, I’m going.”

 

Awkwardly, Yuuri turns around and crawls back out of the warm comfort of their tent and into the cool air of the night. The wind is still howling like a banshee and he moves to pull his jacket around him a little tighter when he realizes that he’s still wearing Victor’s coat. Nuzzling his face down into the fabric, his next deep breath is filled with the scent of warm spice and soap, and it pulls his lips into an impulsive smile. Looking around, he sees that everyone has already retreated to their own tents for the night, and so he starts walking down to the first tent farthest away from the wagons.

 

When he arrives, Victor has both ends of his accommodation closed off with a simple sheet of fabric just like any normal tent, but now Yuuri isn’t sure how to gain the man’s attention since he obviously can’t knock. Trying not to disturb the others, he quietly whispers the man’s name.

 

“Victor…?”

 

No answer. The wind rustling the trees and fabric must be loud enough to drown out his voice, and so he tries again a little bit louder.

 

“Victor?”

 

Still no response. Unsure of if he might be crossing a line, he takes a gamble and reaches out to pull back the fabric covering the entrance.

 

“Victor I—”

 

The young man’s words rapidly change into a muffled yell as he feels a large hand clasp over his mouth. The small piece of the tent that he is holding is ripped out of his grasp as he is forced backwards, making him stumble away from the tent. The next thing he knows, his body is being harshly slammed back into the ground, and the impact takes away his breath and leaves him gasping and coughing through a hand that is restricting his airway. The hard blow to his head as it contacted the earth makes his vision swim for a few moments, but soon, everything slowly starts to come back into focus.

 

Dark shadows silhouetted by the moon surround him, and he reaches up trying to pry the hand away from his face, but his smaller muscles have no chance at breaking the hold of his attacker. He continues his attempt at screaming out for help, but the grip crushing his cheeks tightens before he hears the most sickening sound. A dark, familiar, nauseating chuckle, catches on the wind and slips its way into his ears, causing Yuuri to stop breathing as his eyes go wide.

 

“Well hello again Yuri. It looks like your pretty little face has made a full recovery… Let’s change that, shall we?”


	32. Midnight Madness

_‘Fuck.’_

Yuuri immediately starts thrashing around on the ground, desperate to get away. His legs are quickly pinned down under the heavy weight of someone sitting on top of him, and they force his arms by his sides by digging their knees into his wrists.

 

_‘‘Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.’_

He keeps trying to twist and turn his entire body, attempting to break free in some capacity that would allow him to fight back.

 

_‘Not Again... This can’t be happening again...’_

 

Attempting to scream out once more, another tight grip quickly encompasses his throat and squeezes. The action immediately causes him to choke, and any muffled sound he was making is cut off.

 

“Now, now, pretty. I’d hate to finish this before we’ve had any fun.”

 

The hand around his throat slightly loosens, just enough to leave him gasping for air in between the man’s hulking fingers.

 

_‘I need to move. I need to use my magic.’_

 

He uses all of his strength trying to lift any part of his body away from the ground, but the hefty man sitting on top of him forcing down his limbs leaves him trapped. He can feel the crushing weight shift as his attacker leans forward, placing his mouth right next to his ear. Yuuri tries to turn away, attempting to ignore the way the man’s hot breath runs down his neck before he hears a deep, nasally, inhale.

 

_‘I think I’m going to be sick.’_

 

The person on top of him is undeniably the boss, and the horribly familiar, grotesque scent of alcohol and a dingy basement assaults his senses as the close contact continues. The leader must have brought a couple of his goons with him as well to give him the upper hand, and that would explain the multiple shadows lurking in his peripherals.

 

“You know, I never thought that a back alley thief like yourself would have such flawless beauty.” The man says, eyeing Yuuri’s helpless body underneath him. “After what your friends did to me and my men, I thought to myself that it doesn’t matter what happens to you before you die, as long as you eventually do.”

 

The gruff whispering in his ear and the connotation of the man’s words pierces his heart with cold, hard, fear. Yuuri attempts to choke out another cry for help but it is smothered just as quickly as the last.

 

“Don’t worry, we’ll get to your friends eventually.” The man smirks. “But for now, I have something special planned for you.”

 

Yuuri doesn’t have time to think as the hand clenching his throat squeezes hard and the one covering his face is removed, leaving him suffocating and unable to make a sound. In a single movement, the boss then shoves a piece of wet cloth into his gaping mouth and releases his hold on Yuuri’s neck. The damp fabric restricts his breathing even more than the hand, and it is doing him no favors as he desperately tries to suck in air after being strangled.

 

“Could you hold his arms and legs for me?”

 

It is obvious that the boss isn’t talking to him, and soon he feels two sets of hands grasping and pulling his limbs away from his torso and securely pinning them to the ground. Now he is exactly where he doesn’t want to be, spread open underneath one of the most vile people on the earth, and completely at the man’s mercy, again.

 

“You know, I don’t usually do this… but you made such a wonderful recovery, I think I’ll make an exception for that lovely face of yours.”

 

The statement is barely registered by the helpless young man before the boss starts undoing Victor’s jacket. As soon as the fabric is shoved away from his torso, the next thing he feels is thick, rough, and clumsy fingers reaching down and fiddling with his pants. The intent is obvious, and Yuuri starts another valiant attempt at breaking free, but fighting off three burly men is not his forte. Muffled screaming and crying is smothered by the gag as his fight for freedom continues, but he can feel the boss shifting back on his lap to gain more access, and at the same time he starts to feel the cold, rough, earth against his skin.

 

Yuuri knows he’s lost, but he doesn’t stop trying to move away from the unwanted touch as his muted yells turn to whimpers and tears, silently begging for this to stop. The boss manages to push his shirt high enough to expose his nipples to the cold air, while slipping his pants low enough to uncover his genitals. Defenseless against the horrid ministrations, the man takes his time and leans back for a moment to admire his prey, meanwhile Yuuri continues to cry as he watches the scattered light illuminate his surroundings just enough to show the leader undoing his own pants. He lets out another desperate cry as loud as he possibly can, and with it, the wind around them harshly picks up, making the men pause and turn their heads to shelter themselves as much as possible while still maintaining their grip.

 

_‘For the love of god, please let someone notice the wind.’_

 

Yuuri can feel that the boss is undeterred by the sudden change in weather, as he is too focused on palming himself through his underwear.

 

_‘Not like this. Please god not like this.’_

 

The young man squeezes his eyes shut and turns his head to the side, not wanting to watch what happens next. Once again, he feels the fumbling fingers of a single hand caressing his waist, gradually sliding lower until the hand is forcefully shoved underneath his ass, groping and squeezing as it inches its way towards the middle. Letting out another loud, dull, cry, he can feel his magic itching to break free, but there is no outlet for it to travel through other than riling up the wind to even faster speeds. The tips of a few fingers begin pressing against his rim, and Yuuri can only sob harder.

 

“Get away from him!”

 

The sudden booming voice cuts through the white noise, and Yuuri’s eyes fly open as the large hand freezes over the intimate spot on his skin. Immense relief temporarily floods his body, and he thanks the gods for whoever found him. The leader doesn’t seem as pleased however, as the man straightens his back, forcing him to remove his hand from underneath Yuuri in order to turn and face the interruption. It’s not hard to see his sadistic pleasure rapidly switch to anger as he turns his attention elsewhere, but still pinned to the ground, Yuuri can now only see the large erection hanging between the boss’ legs and the lackey above him still holding his arms in place.

 

“I said, get away from him.”

 

The wind is distorting some of the noise, but Yuuri is fairly certain there is a low growl coming from the man straddling his legs.

 

“Don’t you worry, you’ll have your turn.”

 

In the midst of the distraction, Yuuri attempts to squirm his way free but to no avail. The boss reaches out to put a hand on his chest, weakly holding him down but also staking his claim.

 

“Last warning.”

 

The cruel man chuckles.

 

“Will one of you go deal with the senile old man over there?”

 

_‘Old?’_

Yuuri can hear the footsteps of someone walking away from his general vicinity, but all of the previous hands restricting his movement remain firmly placed on his body.

 

_‘Shit. How many men did he bring?’_

The distinct sound of a sword being unsheathed from its scabbard rings through the air, and it is soon followed by the telltale sound of metal clashing against metal. The boss turns back to him, seemingly content with picking up where he left off as he immediately grinds down as he leans forward. Yuuri turns his face to the side once again and squeezes his eyes shut, only to feel a disgustingly slimy tongue run up his neck. Another series of muffled cries, and shouts make their way through the gag, and he begins pushing and pulling his body in any direction he can. All too soon, both hands are back, with one grasping at his own flaccid penis while the other is busy groping the exposed skin on his chest. Yuuri doesn’t stop trying to tear himself away from the assault, but the horrid feeling makes his tears flow freely as the lack of oxygen from his heaving breaths weakens his muscles. He can hear the heated grunts slipping from the man’s lips as he works, obviously excited and anticipating what’s to come as he moves his hips to rub himself against Yuuri’s thighs.

 

All of a sudden, the man’s weight mercifully topples off of him accompanied by a loud yell, and he opens his eyes to see someone rolling across the ground wrestling with the large man. Counting his blessings, he uses the last of his energy to utilize the distraction and twist his body once more, starting with his hips and successfully turning over onto his side. The jerky movement frees his right hand, and he immediately brings it down to his hip in a wide arc before forcing his palm forward, directing his movement toward the goon still holding his other wrist.

 

A concentrated gust of wind shoots out from his body, knocking the accomplice onto his back and giving Yuuri an opening to address the man pulling him back by his legs. Flipping over onto his back once again, he clenches his fists and brings them harshly down to the ground, and at the same time, he slams down his feet as hard as he can. The measured movement makes the earth underneath the other man shoot up in a pointed spike, and the dull, hard, tip, rises straight up and impales the man’s chest, entering his front before exiting straight out of his back. The successful attack is obviously fatal, and it causes a rush of blood to flow down the cylindrical pyramid before pooling on the flat ground around the impromptu weapon.

 

The brief moment of respite allows Yuuri to scramble back, pull up his pants, remove the piece of cloth from his mouth, and move to stand up. Just as he gets his feet underneath him, a crushing force rams into his side and tackles him back to the ground. Disoriented, he struggles to bring his hands up and push the new attacker off, but before the winner is determined, an arrow flies straight into the man’s temple.

 

Blood splatters onto Yuuri’s face, and the now dead weight collapses on top of him. A brief feeling of shock pierces his mind before he shoves the corpse to the side, rolling over in order to begin getting on his feet once again, but before he can, he sees a hand held out in front of his face to help him up. Tilting his head, he finds Sara standing in front of him with a bow in one hand and a quiver slung over her shoulder, looking down at him with dark eyes and a grim expression. Yuuri quickly grabs on to her extended hand and is heaved to his feet, finally gaining a moment to take in the status of his surroundings.

 

Their camp is in a state of utter chaos. Now that he is able to see it, he finds it hard to believe, but the boss must have assembled a small squadron to attack them because the amount of people that have congregated in the field must be close to around fifty men. Every member of their small group is now outside fighting for their lives, and he sees numerous dead bodies lying on the ground alongside the one he dealt with in a rather grotesque manner. Quickly doing a headcount, he starts to make sure that everyone he knows is accounted for.

 

Beside him, Sara is firing off more arrows into the fray, hitting each of her targets with deadly accuracy. Her surefire aim is aiding the multiple people locked in close combat, and any that dare come close to her are expertly overpowered by her agility.

 

Not too far away, he notices the fiery red hair of Mila, ducking and dodging her way through several attackers. Her movements are almost graceful as she wields two daggers and effortlessly takes down men twice her size by hitting their weak points before going in for the kill.

 

Next, he notices Georgi, although the man is hard to track as he is using his magic to disappear and reappear in different areas of the battle. Each time he pops up, he takes down another man with a few quick tricks before moving on to the next. Using his magic to his full advantage by evading lethal attacks is only one benefit to teleporting as it seems, because Yuuri swears that he swapped places with another enemy who died in his place.

 

An arrow flying right by his head alerts him to another archer standing behind him. Turning around, he sees Seung-gil standing a respectable distance away from the skirmish. The man’s straight face and hard stare unwavering from the scene as he fires off shot after shot in rapid succession.

 

Metallic clanging rising above the yelling and shouting draws Yuuri’s attention back to the field. Phichit is in the middle of the fight, wielding a curved blade as thin as a sheet of paper, and the only way he actually knows it is there is because of the way the moonlight shimmers when the thick, flat edge, reflects the light just right. The tan man normally seems way too innocent for Yuuri to even begin to comprehend how adept he is when it comes to his sword skills, but the trail of bodies accumulating around his best friend say otherwise.

 

A flash of blonde hair draws his eye to a wrestling match being held on the ground nearby, and he realizes that Chris must have been the man to knock the boss off of him in the first place. The fight is a constant push and pull as the pair rolls around on the ground before they manage to stand back up and continue with their hand to hand combat. The leader is a large, bulky, man, but Chris’ experience and strength give him an obvious advantage in the fight.

 

Absurdly loud swearing near the carriages alerts him to the presence of Yuri, and as he looks over to double check that the young boy is alright, he sees him and Otabek tag teaming whatever assailants head their way. It looks like they packed a couple of weapons of their own as they are working together to take enemies out one by one, but the young teen looks to be wielding some sort of oddly shaped dagger.

 

Not having time to ruminate on the odd weapon, he continues scanning the crowd for the one man he has yet to see. The lack of silver hair in his field of vision is concerning, and he reminds himself that the man is perfectly capable of handling himself, but given the situation, he needs to know that he is okay.

 

Brown eyes rapidly examine the various bodies engaged in combat, and the longer Yuuri goes without seeing Victor, the more he panics. Just as he starts to think he might need to check the corpses now piling up in the field, he sees a giant monstrosity of a man stumble out of the tree line all the way on the other side of the clearing, but they regain their footing and head back out of sight. With no other leads, Yuuri starts to run toward the gap in the pines, praying that Victor is alright.

 

He sprints as fast as his legs will take him, carefully dodging and eliminating any attackers that take an interest in him as he runs by. After what feels like an eternity, he finally rounds the dense thickets blocking his view and luckily finds Victor. The man looks exhausted. Blood is running down from a gash in his forehead, staining his silver fringe and blurring the vision in his left eye. He is wielding his long sword but his stance is sloppy and his dominant arm is hanging limply by his side. It is obvious that the man has taken a few good hits during the time he was fighting, but Yuuri doesn’t blame him considering the Goliath he is matched with.

 

Taking a second to prepare himself, Yuuri concentrates on the flow of magic in his body, and he can tell that it is ready and waiting to be unleashed. As the wind whistles around him, he focus’ his mind in order to prevent a break in his concentration, needing every fibre of his being to be at the ready. The last time he fought to kill it was to save Chris’ life, but now Victor’s life is on the line, and he would rather die before he lets anything happen to him.


	33. True Power

Finally ready, Yuuri makes his move.

 

He quickly steps out from behind the bushes, and he watches as Victor’s eyes are immediately drawn towards him. He doesn’t let the man get distracted however, as he’s busy planting his feet in a wide stance and snapping his arms into hard angles by his side, clenching his hands as tight as he can. Next he punches both fists straight up before swinging around his arms so that his left hand covers his right close to his ribs, and then he proceeds to harshly jab his right elbow forward. The quick series of movements is accompanied by a boulder, a little larger than his skull, floating up off the ground before slamming into the back of the giants head.

 

Expecting the attacker to at least be dazed, Yuuri is shocked as he watches the man calmly turn around to face him. He quickly spares a glance over to Victor, who is now wearing a look of horror, as if what he just did just guaranteed his death sentence. The lumbering human being slowly starts taking steps toward him, and although he is huge, Yuuri can at least be thankful that the man’s movements are sluggish at best.

 

Deciding not to hesitate, he moves around once more. This time he whirls his arms above his head, palms facing the sky, before arcing them down on opposite sides while simultaneously taking a large step outward with his left foot. The motion of his arms gradually slow the lower they get toward the ground, and as he starts bringing them back up the center of his body, it’s almost as if he is carrying a large weight in front of him until he finally stops his movement when his hands reach his stomach. The fluid technique is one he knows well, and it allows Yuuri to reach deep into the earth, drawing up all of the available water spread among the roots of the dense forest.

 

The tiny droplets that are pulled from the ground quickly accumulate in between Yuuri and his attacker, until a few bathtub’s worth of clear liquid flows around him in a large loop. Unperturbed at the display of magic, the man continues walking toward him, and it is only then that Yuuri notices that the titan of a man is brandishing a large wooden club almost as tall as himself. Alternating his hands in a small circle to keep the water suspended, he then shoots his right arm forward simultaneously with his right leg, causing the water to blast toward the colossal man.

 

The pressure seems to be enough to slow him down for a brief second, but as soon as it stops, he continues trekking through the woods as if nothing happened. All too soon, with his ginormous arms and long club, he is now within swinging distance of Yuuri. Desperate to keep trying, the young man takes a deep breath in and exhales into open palms, effectively freezing the water now dripping off of the man’s clothing and immobilizing the threat.

 

Yuuri breathes a sigh of relief, but the triumph is short lived. The only warning he gets is the harsh sound of cracking ice before the behemoth breaks free with a yell and raises his weapon. He can hear Victor scream out his name at the same time as a yell slips out of his own mouth, and he makes a last minute decision to dive to the side, barely escaping the brutal downward force of the dense wooden club. Luckily, the sheer momentum behind the swing throws the giant off balance when he follows through, causing him to topple over into the bushes.

 

Even though he almost died, Yuuri’s shoulder roll has now placed him in the vicinity of Victor, and he couldn’t be happier to be next to the man once again. As he stands up to prepare for the next attack, he quickly takes the last few steps over to the older man, momentarily forgetting about the danger in favour of getting closer to Victor. The man looks as if he’s about to say something, but Yuuri can’t help himself, and as soon as he’s within an arms length he raises his hands to gently wipe away the man’s fringe and cup his cheek, inspecting his wound while the giant fumbles around behind him. The tender action seems to surprise the silver haired man, as his whole body freezes and his mouth gapes open.

 

“Are you alright?” Yuuri asks.

 

The taller man just looks at him, eyes glossed over and expression almost dazed.

 

“Victor?”

 

The next thing he knows he is being pulled into a one armed, bone crushing hug, and after walking away from their fight earlier, he immediately relaxes into the man’s embrace. Victor may look absolutely wrecked, but he is still as soft and warm as Yuuri remembers, and it feels like ages since they’ve been this close. He quickly loops his arms around the taller man and pulls their bodies closer together, relishing in the contact while the voice in his head keeps reminding him to never let go and that this is where he belongs. Although the hilt of a sword is pressing uncomfortably into his back, the strong scent of spice and soap fills his nose as he nuzzles into the man’s shoulder, making him forget about anything else, if only for a minute. However, now there is an unfortunate mix of dirt, sweat, and blood mixed into the smell as well, and the unpleasant tang brings him back to reality.

 

“Victor?” He asks again.

 

The man takes a deep breath in before stuttering. “I-I thought— You were— I tried— There was so many of them… Yuuri… I’m so sorry.”

 

The man is breathing out his words like a confession and holding onto him as if his life depended on it, but Yuuri is not complaining. Victor must have been the first one to interrupt the boss, and that also means that he is the man that was the first to see him during one of the most horrible experiences he could ever imagine. Reaching up, he tentatively threads his fingers through the man’s hair, enjoying the feeling of rough, tangled strands, since it is rarely anything but perfect.

 

“It’s okay.” He whispers, briefly pulling the man impossibly closer.

 

Their bodies practically melt together, perfectly aligned for each other in every way, but right now time is of the essence. Reluctantly, he pushes them apart, cupping his hands around the man’s face and staring into his shimmering eyes.

 

“I was coming to talk to you earlier, to say that I’m sorry,” he says, giving a reassuring smile, “but we’ll have to talk later, because right now we have to take care of this guy.”

 

Letting his hands fall back to his sides, the pair looks over to the grumbling giant, who has finally freed himself from the twisted branches of the underbrush and is currently hoisting his club back over his shoulder. Counting down the seconds, Yuuri quickly turns back to make a plan but sees Victor wiping away the sweat, blood, and tears, awkwardly from his face with the same left hand that is wielding his sword. Looking down, he finally notices the man’s nice white button up is stained with blood not only around his collar, but around his right arm as well.

 

“You can’t fight like that.” Yuuri says, nodding to the man’s useless arm.

 

Victor huffs out a breath, eyes never straying from the incoming threat. “There’s no way I’m leaving you.”

 

The words make something light up in Yuuri’s chest, and he stares at the older man with open adoration splashed blatantly on his face.

 

_‘You better not…’_

 

Obviously weighing his options as a fighter rather than choosing to run, Victor’s bravery is commendable. Sparing a glance, Yuuri sees their attacker walking towards the two of them with a nasty expression scrunching up his already hideous features, and it won’t be long until they are within batting distance once again. Shoving his feelings away for later, he strengthens his resolve and attempts to create a makeshift plan.

 

“How good are you with your left?”

 

Victor shrugs. “Good enough.”

 

“Alright. Our best shot is to make him fumble and then quickly take him out, rather than risk getting in too close to his swing.”

 

The man nods. “Okay.”

 

Yuuri starts repeating his movements from earlier, whirling his arms around in order to melt and collect the small shards of ice distributed around the area. Once he has the water in front of him, he collapses his two hands together before sharply tearing them apart. The liquid rapidly separates into small beads, and as he rotates his arms around in a large, horizontal, circle, they start to take shape. He completes the motion by bringing his forearms flat against each other and sliding his hands outward until his finger tips are just barely touching, breathing out with the movement. The action causes the manipulated water to freeze into multiple thin sheets of ice, each one with an edge as sharp as a sword.

 

Deciding he is as ready as he can be when it comes to fighting someone four times his size, Yuuri takes a peek to check on Victor before their battle begins. The man is now in a more secure stance than his questionable form earlier, and he has his sword raised and at the ready for what comes next. The look on his face is as serious as ever, as if he’s ready to die trying, but Yuuri won’t let that happen.

 

All too soon the beast is upon them, and they wait until the very last second to jump out of the way when he brings down his club once again. Escaping in opposite directions, Yuuri dives to the left while Victor rolls to the right, and Yuuri can feel the vibrations rattle the earth from the hard impact behind him. He doesn’t hesitate as he manipulates his body out of the dive and spins around, swinging his right arm out as he turns before dropping it straight down between his legs and cutting straight up. The action causes his blades of ice to rapidly advance towards the brute and curve up at the last second, carving out chunks of skin and muscle in numerous spots on the man’s body.

 

A deep roar is released as the giant stumbles and yells out in pain, and Yuuri is starting to think that the towering being is more of a creature rather than a human. He doesn’t have much time to ruminate on the thought as he watches Victor sprint forward out of his roll and bring down his sword hard against the man’s neck.

 

Unfortunately the swing isn’t as powerful as it needs to be. The monstrosity is still standing and Victor is struggling to pull his blade free from the engorged muscle after the man brought it down with all his strength. As if sensing the feeble attempt of the silver haired man behind him, the behemoth uses its club to steady himself before blindly swinging his arm out and around as he twists his body. Yuuri can’t react fast enough, and he’s forced to watch as a gigantic arm that must be as hard as a rock crashes into Victor, sending the man flying into the nearest tree trunk.

 

“Victor!” Yuuri screams.

 

There is no response, and he can barely see the older man laying face down in the dirt thirty feet away, unmoving. Tears fill Yuuri’s eyes, and he promptly blinks them away as he turns back towards the enemy, watching as the monster finally stands upright and faces him. The combination of their attacks resulted in gaping wounds and gashes that are oozing out blood, but he can see that Victor’s sword is still lodged in the back of the Goliath’s neck.

 

_‘How is he still standing!?’_

 

Taking a few measured steps to the side, he carefully maneuvers himself in a wide arc in order to get a better idea of how badly the older man is hurt. The beast is slowly staring to walk forward, and Yuuri is careful to keep his distance for the time being. Finally clearing the bushes blocking his view, he sees Victor’s body crumpled up on the forest floor in a dark pool of liquid that is glistening red in the moonlight.

 

_‘No…’_

 

Fear and anger quickly take over his body, and he can feel his magic violently lashing out with his emotions. At the same time, the wind changes direction, and it is like a switch has been flipped in his mind, forcing his consciousness into submission in order to accommodate the powerful typhoon inside of him. His grasp on reality quickly fades as if his mind has been shut down, causing his face to become void of emotion and allowing whatever force is inside of him to move his body as if it is on autopilot.

 

Yuuri advances instinctually, bending his arms and bringing them sharply to his side while taking a wide stance. His hands feel as if he’s squeezing an imaginary rock as hard as he can, but they remain open and tense with all of his joints bending to form a claw. He rapidly raises his left foot before slamming it into the ground, slightly turning his body to the side and shooting his rigid arms up until his biceps are level with his shoulders and his forearms are at a sharp right angle. The movement causes a large wall of earth to erupt from the ground, easily twice his height, as wide as two bookshelves, and with the thickness of one.

 

He repeats the motion but this time on the opposite side, successfully creating two enormous stone walls on either side of his attacker. He pushes his palms straight out by his sides and rapidly brings them together in front of his chest with a loud clap. The slabs of earth respond in kind, slightly shifting away from the monster still making his way forward before slamming together and crushing him in between. Another wail is forced from the being as he is effectively immobilized on the spot, and Yuuri isn’t even fazed as the man’s wounds are gushing blood as easily as someone squeezing a lemon.

 

His body continues to move automatically, and he doesn’t need to think about what he is trying to accomplish since his limbs somehow already know exactly what to do. The next thing he knows, he can feel his arms slowly rising from next to his legs all the way up to above his head, palms open and arms straight until his fingers are gently brushing against one another. The action influences the wind once more, and a concentrated tornado forms a tight circle around the defenseless man, sucking the available oxygen straight out of his lungs.

 

Suffocating him would be an easy solution, but Yuuri can’t help but feel like the man needs to die faster. As he maintains the artificial maelstrom, he collects more water from his surroundings, and just like before, he separates them, shapes them, and freezes them into sharp edges, except this time they closely resemble small shards of glass. Flicking his right arm forward and twisting his wrist to shove out his palm, he sends his army of a thousand knives into the vortex.

 

The wind easily picks up the fragments of ice, causing them to scratch, slice, and cut open even more wounds on the giant’s body as they fly around at breakneck speeds. With his consciousness locked away, his magic is in complete control, and it has free reign to do whatever it wishes to the poor man trapped in front of him. He can hear the pained cries and see the stream of red flowing down the man’s body, but apparently that’s not enough to satisfy the intense bloodlust of his power.

 

Once more his body begins to move, rooting himself to the ground before repeating the same strong move from earlier, spreading his hands apart before clapping his palms together. The two walls inch impossibly closer, crushing the man like a vice as Yuuri watches his blood start to pour out like a river. It is only when the man’s head falls to the side, no more sounds come out of his mouth, and the rush of blood slows to a dribble, that he finally stops.

 

As quickly as it started, the tornado disappears and the pieces of ice fall down onto the ground, melting into the earth as if they never even existed. It takes a moment for Yuuri to come back to himself, and the blood pounding in his ears is the only other sound he can hear aside from his heavy breathing. In one fell swoop, his arms fall to his sides and he collapses to his knees, unprepared for the amount of energy that was zapped from his body. Leaning forward, he digs his hands into the earth to keep himself upright, but instead of the solid dirt he was expecting, he is met with a pool of blood that splashes into his face.

 

He sputters at the sudden coppery taste in his mouth and quickly pushes himself back onto dry land, leaning back and looking up to see the once hulk of a man slumped over between two walls in the middle of a forest. Yuuri’s gut churns at the sight in front of him, but he can’t seem to look away from the macabre scene that somehow magically appeared. Deep cuts cover the titan’s entire body, and pieces of mangled flesh and muscle look as if they’ve been ripped to shreds by a ferocious animal. Trails of blood running down the corpse and onto the earth shimmer as the moonlight shines through the trees, making the man look as pale as a ghost.

 

_‘Did I do that…?’_

 

The sight in front of him is enough to jog his memory, at least giving him a faint perspective of the brutal attack he apparently unleashed upon the assailant, but he doesn’t understand how he could do all of that without batting an eye. Thinking back, he tries to remember why he went to such extents in the first place, but looking down at his blood soaked hands narrows his focus to how it felt when he did it.

 

_‘I was so angry… It was like I was dreaming… but it was real…’_

 

All of a sudden, the vivid memory of a man with silver hair slamming against a tree with immense force brings back the tears he pushed back earlier.

 

“Victor…” He breathes out.

 

Without a second thought, he is scrambling to his feet, blinking away the tears and disregarding the fact that he is pushing himself up and trudging through more pools of blood and mud. Rushing towards the spot on the other side of the bushes, he slips a few times along the way, but soon he finally rounds the thickets to see the man in question in the exact same position he remembers from earlier. He drops to his knees and immediately starts pulling and pushing the older man’s shoulder in order to roll him onto his back.

 

The once pristine and perfect appearance of the taller man is now tainted with a thick coating of mud and blood, covering the man from head to toe. His normally shining silver hair is now a mix of brown, black, and red, with only a few strands peeking out in select spots remaining the original colour. Reaching up with both hands, Yuuri doesn’t care that he’s smearing more dirt and grime onto Victor’s face as he cups the man’s cheeks.

 

“Victor? Can you hear me?”

 

The little hope that he was hanging onto rapidly starts disintegrating as he waits for a response that never comes. Giving the man’s head a light shake he tries again.

 

“Victor? Please, you have to wake up.”

 

The silence that follows causes him to grasp the man’s shoulders and shake him once more as he raises his voice.

 

“Victor, please!”

 

The only answer he receives is the sight of the man’s head limply bobbing around before it lolls to the side. His small string of faith snaps, and the realization that the man might actually be dead overwhelms him.

 

“No, no, no! Victor! You have to wake up! You have to!”

 

His eyes frantically start to move over every inch of the man below him as he leans back and examines the initial state of his body. The gash that was dripping down his forehead is still wet with blood, and all of his clothes, face, and hair are caked in mud and dirt. He pats down the man’s limbs to check for injuries and only finds the large cut on his right arm that was there earlier. Seeing no obvious protrusions or anything out of the ordinary, Yuuri starts ripping open the man’s shirt, and he’s thankful to see that there are no visible wounds on the front of his body. Quickly pushing Victor onto his side, he shoves the soiled piece of fabric out of the way and once again observes no punctures or gashes on the man’s back, meaning that the pool of blood they are currently sitting in thankfully doesn’t belong to him. Gently resting him back on the ground, he leans forward, placing his ear on the man’s chest as he attempts to hear a heartbeat, but the blood pounding through his own head makes the differentiation difficult.

 

Rising back upright, he looks down at Victor once more, trying to think of anything else that could help or explain the lack of response. In a final attempt to rule out some kind of deadly injury, he carefully lifts the man’s head and runs his fingers along the man’s scalp since the mud is too thick to take a proper look. Starting at the bottom, apprehension starts to fill every inch of his body as he focus’ on the feeling underneath his fingertips, and just as he thinks it couldn’t get any worse, he finds a large, coarse, abrasion in the center of the man’s skull.

 

The laceration makes Yuuri’s heart stop. Everyone knows that an injury to the head can be fatal, and the image of the man slamming into the tree repeats in his mind once again. The force of the hit was only amplified by hitting a solid object, and as he thinks it through he can feel the tears start to come forth once more, this time unrestrained. Stress, frustration, and fear, settle in his bones because he can’t tell if the man below him is still alive, and even if he is, there is a very good chance that he is going to die if he’s not dead already.

 

Finally out of options, Yuuri starts to panic, and his first reaction is to go back to cupping the man’s cheeks while he cries.

 

“Please Victor, you have to wake up… You have to wake up!”

 

His sobbing turns into yelling, but here is still no sign of life coming from the man’s body. The tears he kept trying to hold back start pouring out of his eyes, dripping down onto Victor’s exposed chest and clearing away the dirt and grime one drop at a time. His voice rapidly cracks as he keeps trying to talk to the man laying limply on the ground, as if he only needs to convince him to wake up and everything will be alright, but the longer he goes talking to himself, the more he slips into desperation and denial.

 

His heart feels like a budding flower that has been ripped from the ground when it barely had the chance to bloom, and the pain inside his chest expands as quickly as a black hole obliterating everything in its path. The logical part of his mind has given up, and his emotions spike, easily getting the best of him as his desperate pleas quickly turn into desperate sobs.

 

“Please, Victor! You can’t die! You promised! You promised you’d keep me safe!”

 

Each word is like a nail in a coffin. He takes a deep shaky inhale while more tears run down his face. Still receiving no response, he heaves forward with an anguished cry, gripping the man’s collar as hard as he can as his forehead connects with the smooth skin on Victor’s chest. The body underneath him is pliant, and the weight of the man shifts around like a rag doll with every movement.

 

“You promised… You can’t—”

 

Yuuri’s voice breaks off into another sob, and his yelling and screaming rapidly die, fading into nothing more than a weeping whisper.

 

“We never even got the chance to talk.”


	34. Regret

_‘This is all my fault… Please be okay… This is all my fault… Please gods let him be okay…’_

 

Panting, Yuuri repeats the demoralized mantra in his head as he trudges his way through the forest with Victor’s body slung over his shoulders. The years of hunting and chopping wood back at home feel like a blessing in disguise now that he has to carry so much dead weight over the diverse and uneven terrain. Even though it took him a few tries to stand up and lift the taller man in order to get back to the others, for Victor’s sake he made it work.

 

_‘This is all my fault… Please be okay… This is all my fault…’_

 

Some clouds must have shifted in front of the moon over the course of the evening, because now the light is barely enough to illuminate the trees that are right in front of him, and every footfall is more or less a guess as to whether he’ll be stepping on solid ground, mud, or in a puddle made of water, blood, or both. With every shaky step, he can feel his legs itching to give out from underneath him, but he knows that if he stops he won’t be able to keep going.

 

_‘Please let him be okay… This is all my fault…’_

 

The giant must have thrown the older man farther into the forest than he thought, either that or his weakened state is really taking its toll. By now he’s only just making his way by the gruesome monument that he created just minutes ago, and he focus’ on what little he can see straight ahead of him rather than at the sickening scene. Step after step, he forces his body to continue, despite the pure exhaustion setting in from everything that happened.

 

Considering the series of unfortunate events that lead him to this point, he realizes that he ran off in the middle of a full on battle earlier so that he could find Victor, leaving everyone else behind to fend for themselves.

 

_‘Fuck… I hope everyone is okay… God damn it this is all my fault.’_

 

Pushing his way through the dense thickets that line the edge of the forest, he tries to think of what he’ll do when he has to make his way across a field of people that are going to try and kill him, but his train of thought is interrupted as a root hiding in the underbrush snags his foot, sending him and Victor tumbling onto the hard ground. A loud yelp makes its way out of his mouth before the weight of the man falling on top of him squeezes the air out of his lungs, forcing him to immediately start coughing and gasping for breath. Taking a moment to regulate his breathing, Yuuri attempts to move his arms underneath his chest in order to push himself and Victor back upright, groaning and letting out a loud cry as he puts all of his remaining energy into the push. Suddenly, he collapses back onto the ground with a hard thud, muscles too fatigued to bear the combined weight of both men or climb his way out.

 

“Fuck…” He breathes out, tears readily coming back to his eyes.

 

“Yuuri!”

 

The sound of his name being shouted from across the field makes him groggily lift his head to identify the source, and all he sees is the blurry vision of Chris sprinting across the clearing with two other people a little ways behind.

 

_‘Thank god.’_

 

He drops his head back to the ground, too exhausted to even bother keeping his face out of the mud. The expenditure of his magic, his emotional breakdown, and now the gruelling walk back lugging a very tall, very muscular man, took all the energy he has to give. As the footsteps gradually make their way closer, it starts to sink in that he actually managed to get them back to the group, but now he hopes it was all worth it.

 

“Holy shit.”

 

He’s pretty sure that the voice belongs to Phichit, and he hears people talking above him, but the only thing on his mind is that he needs to get Victor some help.

 

“Please…” He wheezes. “Victor…”

 

He’s not sure if anyone even heard his weak attempt at talking, but the next thing he knows he feels the heavy weight shifting off of his back and his breathing is able to return to normal. All of sudden there are hands pushing him so that he rolls over, and he blinks up at the sky for a brief second before Phichit’s head comes into view.

 

“Yuuri! Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

 

He shakes his head no and weakly bats his hand at the man’s arm, attempting to push his friend away.

 

“You have to help Victor.”

 

“I know. Chris and Seung-gil are with him right now, but I’m going to stay with you unless they need me okay?”

 

Yuuri nods. Now that his primary goal is complete, his mind takes the opportunity to automatically switch back to feeling guilty, letting his emotions take control once again.

 

_‘Useless. Pathetic. I couldn’t save him. He’s hurt because of me. He’s dead because of me. Everyone will blame me for his death, and they’re right. I killed the man I love.’_

 

His face scrunches up as tears start to burst forth once again, and in response Phichit looks at him with extreme trepidation.

 

“Yuuri what’s wrong?”

 

“…I-I couldn’t save him P…” He sobs.

 

Phichit’s face flickers between confusion and worry, eyes briefly glancing back over his shoulder before refocusing on him.

 

“You did save him Yuuri. You brought the both of you back and now we can help.”

 

Yuuri just shakes his head as he continues to cry. “No… It’s my fault… It’s all my fault… He wouldn’t be like this if it wasn’t for me…”

 

“No. It’s not.” His friend’s voice moves to a firmer tone. “You can’t blame yourself. We told you before and we’ll tell you again, if anyone is to blame then it’s all of us.”

 

Yuuri can tell that Phichit is just trying to help, but now that Victor is in capable hands, he can’t help but think of how everyone would be better off without him.

 

_‘I don’t deserve to be with him… I don’t even deserve to stay with the group… I’ve caused more trouble than I’m worth… I’ve put everyone in danger… What am I even doing here…? Victor could be dead because of me… What kind of man would love someone that almost killed them…?’_

 

He holds his tongue, not letting all of his thoughts spill out for the other man to hear. Instead, he opts to just lay there in silence, with a few more tears quietly streaming down his face as he ruminates on all of his raging emotions.

 

“Yuuri?”

 

Phichit’s tone has changed once again, this time moving from confident reassurance to mild anxiousness.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Yuuri sniffles. “It’s fine… I’m fine.”

 

Phichit is pressing his lips together in a thin line, looking as if he doesn’t believe him, but if that’s the case then he’s not wrong. Yuuri is far from fine. But thankfully for the time being the man doesn’t push.

 

“Are you able to sit up?”

 

He nods. “I think so. I just don’t have a lot of energy left.”

 

“That’s understandable, but it’s okay. I’ll help you.”

 

Yuuri can’t say how much he appreciates his friend as he gratefully accepts the help he feels like he doesn’t deserve. Phichit does most of the heavy lifting, but as soon as he’s upright, he immediately looks over to where Victor should be. Finding the space empty, panic crashes over him and he looks helplessly towards the tanned man.

 

“It’s okay.” The young man says, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “The others quickly brought him back to camp while we were talking so that Otabek could start taking a look at him.”

 

Yuuri visibly relaxes. Phichit seems to open his mouth to say something but hesitates, pausing for a moment before deciding to speak anyway.

 

“Did you tell him?”

 

A strong pang of guilt and heartbreak rip through Yuuri’s core, and he quickly looks down to avoid eye contact.

 

“…No…”

 

Phichit shifts in his spot on his knees.

 

“You’re still going to, right?”

 

Yuuri doesn’t want to answer. Earlier this evening he felt ready to apologize and confess his newfound gay attraction towards the older man, but now he doesn’t even feel like he should be allowed within a half a mile of him.

 

Phichit’s face falls after a minute of silence, with the lack of response enough of an answer for the other man.

 

“Yuuri, —“

 

“Don’t.” He abruptly says, biting back more tears. “I don’t want to talk about it…”

 

Phichit closes his mouth, but it’s obvious that the man wants to say more. Trying to find a distraction from the storm raging inside his mind and heart, he starts looking around the area where the last thing he knew there was practically a war going on.

 

Taking in his surroundings, he lets out a small gasp when he notices that the entire field looks like a hurricane passed through. Huge channels and crevices span the length of the entire clearing, and the once lush field has been rooted up, with chunks of grass and dirt thrown haphazardly everywhere. In several places there is what could only be described as trenches digging deep down into the earth’s crust, exposing a good five to ten feet of unearthed soil as if they have been there for years.

 

“What happened?” He breathes out.

 

Phichit continues to stare at him for another long moment, sympathy and sadness written as plain as day in his features, but he eventually sighs and gives in.

 

“Yurio.”

 

Yuuri is shocked. “What? H-how? He’s not a magician too, right?”

 

“No. But he does have this crazy dagger that sure as hell makes it look like he is.”

 

“A dagger?”

 

Phichit nods. “Come on, I’ll show you once we get back to camp.”

 

With more help, Yuuri manages to get back on his own two feet, although he is forced to heavily lean on his friend as they walk. Maneuvering around the craters and canyons spread around the field is harder than he expected, and it takes them a good ten minutes to hobble back to the tents and carriages where mostly everyone is sitting around a freshly stoked fire. Hearing the two approach, the group lifts their heads to identify the sound, only to break out into wide grins at the sight of them.

 

“Yuuri!”

 

They all shout his name simultaneously, and Yuuri thinks that for some reason they sound pleased to see him. Looking around, he sees Mila, Sara, Georgi, Seung-gil, and Yuri, all sitting on various crates and barrels tending to their injuries.

 

Sara and Seung-gil seem to have the least amount of battle wounds, but as archers he’s not surprised. The pair is spending their time assisting Georgi, who is currently sitting in between the two and not wearing a shirt, patiently waiting as Seung-gil deftly wraps his left shoulder and torso while Sara wraps his right forearm. Mila seems to have a few superficial scratches in various places, accompanied by a large bandage wrapped around her right arm that is already mostly soaked through with blood, but other than that she looks like nothing ever happened.

 

A brief glance over at a disgruntled Yuri and he can tell that Otabek made sure to take care of him as soon as he could. Several perfectly wrapped bandages cover his arms and legs, as he sits facing the fire with his arms crossed and what looks to be a pout gracing his features. Considering that Yuuri doesn’t see the young doctor, he believes that the man must be busy tending to Victor, and he can only assume that Chris’ absence is for similar reasons.

 

“We’re so glad you’re alright!” Mila exclaims.

 

“We were so worried about you!” Georgi adds.

 

_‘Why are they all so happy? Don’t they know?’_

 

“What the fuck Katsudon!? Why does it look like you just took a bath in someone’s blood before rolling around in the mud like a pig?”

 

Yuuri is confused for a moment before he looks down at himself. His shirt and pants are torn in several spots, probably from the tree branches that he wrestled his way through on the way back, but other than that, he is completely covered in mud. He can vaguely see that the edges of his shirt that aren’t caked in dirt are soaked through with blood, and there must be some of both smeared on his face. From what he can tell, Victor’s jacket thankfully took the least amount of damage as he left it open when it was rudely shoved off earlier, effectively keeping it out of the way.

 

No one else looks as disheveled and dirty as he is, but slipping and sliding through blood and muck will do that to a person. Tilting his head back up, he sees everyone looking at him expectantly, and he realizes no one but him knows about what actually happened in the forest.

 

“U-um...”

 

Yuuri doesn’t want to relive everything that happened so soon for multiple reasons, but he doesn’t have much of a choice when everyone is eagerly waiting to hear what he has to say. Almost mercifully, Sara pipes up before the silence becomes too much and he feels obligated to continue.

 

“Yeah… Now that you mention it I don’t think I saw either of you since the fight began.” She says, furrowing her brow as she thinks. “After shit hit the fan, the last I remember was you sprinting straight into the middle of the chaos.”

 

“Well the last thing I knew there was at least four dozen men fighting here, and now it’s just you guys.” Yuuri quickly replies, drawing the conversation in a different direction.

 

“Oh yeah!” Phichit exclaims beside him, still acting as a makeshift crutch. “Yurio, show Yuuri the dagger.”

 

The nickname earns the man a glare from the young blonde, but the teen reaches behind his back and whips out a small knife none the less. At first glance Yuuri doesn’t think much of it, in fact it looks rather undesirable if he’s being honest, but the small stone embedded in the hilt draws his eyes as it reflects the light of the fire. The pale blue hue reminds him of Victor, and he feels drawn toward the gem in some inexplicable manner just like he is to the older man. However, there is something about the stone that he just can’t put his finger on, something that makes a familiar feeling prickle underneath his skin.

 

“What kind of gem is that?” Yuuri asks.

 

The boy shrugs, twisting the dagger so that the blue stone is now facing the sky. “How am I supposed to know? Why?”

 

“I don’t know… It just feels… Never mind.”

 

Yuri looks down at his blade before looking back at Yuuri. “Okay…”

 

Shaking off the weird feeling as part of his exhaustion, he looks back at Phichit. “So how is this supposed to explain what happened?”

 

The tan man just tilts his head towards the teen, and Yuuri eyes his friend questionably before shifting his attention once more. Yuri looks apprehensive as he stands up and makes his way towards the edge of the fire, facing away from the group. Now that he is up and moving, Yuuri can tell that the young boy is sporting a limp, and although it isn’t too severe, he can’t help but feel responsible.

 

“So I don’t know exactly how this works, but it’s easier if I just show you.”

 

The blonde pauses for a moment, beginning his demonstration, and Yuuri watches as the teen lifts the weapon above his head with two hands and brings it straight down in front of him with a surprising amount of force. The result is what he would expect to happen if he was able to amplify his air magic by a thousand times, as a giant, invisible gust shoots forward, tearing apart the ground for at least thirty feet. Grass and dirt go flying in every direction, and it’s easy to feel the vibrations of the decimation resonate through the earth as it continues to move away from camp.

 

He is absolutely speechless. Yuri calmly turns around and heads back to his seat around the fire, and taking a look around, it seems as if everyone has already witnessed the crazy attack at least once since no one seems to be as dumbstruck as himself. Absorbing the sight in front of him, it takes a few moments of deep contemplation before a thought pops into his head.

 

“That must be the weapon the boss was after…” He finally whispers, starting to connect the dots in his head.

 

Yuri nods. “I heard about some ridiculous magic weapons making their way through the underground market a while ago, and I’m not stupid enough to think that magic plus war is a good thing. So I took it, and the next day you idiots came sauntering through town.”

 

“Wow, so you’re like some kind of vigilante.” Sara says, leaning over so that she has her head resting on Mila’s shoulder now that she’s finished helping Georgi.

 

Yuri shrugs.“Call me what you will, I just don’t like rich assholes that act like absolute pricks and power crazed monsters looking to start another war.”

 

“So does that mean you took out every single one of their men using that?” Yuuri asks.

 

“Yup!” The boy declares proudly before casting a cautionary look around the fire. “Well, most of them… We were obviously outnumbered so I figured we might as well use what we got.”

 

Simply accepting the new information Yuuri nods before another question flies through his mind.

 

“And uh… W-what happened to the boss?”

 

It would take everything he has not to ask, but he can’t help it, it’s something that he needs to know. He can feel Phichit squeezing his waist a little tighter for both physical and mental support as the man answers his question.

 

“Chris dealt with him.” His best friend replies. “If you’re wondering where he is, let’s just say Yurio’s magic dagger was also pretty useful when clearing out an entire field of corpses.”

 

Yuuri doesn’t even want to imagine that picture, and so he just nods his head in acceptance as a small shred of relief flutters around his mind. The conversation makes him recall the time when he was led into a small, dingy room, minutes away from being killed by the disgusting man who is now thankfully deceased. All of a sudden, the memory expands just a little bit further than what he knew previously, and a missing piece of the puzzle falls into place. He feels another squeeze around his waist before Phichit continues speaking.

 

“Do you know who was the one making these things?” His friend asks.

 

Yuri shakes his head. “For all I know it could have been these guys.”

 

“It’s not.” Yuuri cuts in.

 

Everyone turns to face him, once again waiting for an explanation.

 

“When I was in the basement, the leader said something that I didn’t really comprehend at the time. Before he was about to kill me he said ‘Orders are orders’, and I thought he meant his orders, but now that I think about it I’m not so sure.”

 

“Why not?” Mila asks.

 

Yuuri sighs. “Because the boss didn’t want to kill me... At least not yet…It was as if he was reluctant since he wanted to do… other things… But that combined with Yuri’s weapon and after everything we’ve been through, this can’t just be a onetime deal.”

 

He looks around the group and sees mixed expressions, and Georgi is the first to ask what seems to be on everyone’s mind.

 

“How can you be so sure?”

 

Sighing, Yuuri continues.

 

“How else would they be able to pull together a miniature army so quickly? And who would go to such lengths to get something back if they were just some small city black market crew? Not to mention they would have needed someone find us and follow us, when I assume you dealt with everyone in the building when you came to get me. Even Yuri said he heard of multiple weapons being made and distributed, so everything is pointing to this being a small piece of something bigger.”

 

Silence is the only response he’s getting from everyone in front of him, but now they all seem fairly convinced or at least considering that they are in over their heads. The crackling of the fire is the only sound filling the space as everyone lets the new information sink in, and with it, the possibilities start opening up as well. If Yuuri’s theory is correct, it could be a huge lead towards figuring out the truth about what happened fifty years ago, not to mention it could potentially change the course of humanity once again, but this time for the better. However, this also means that there is obviously something very wrong in the world if after years of silence and magic prohibition, it somehow resulted in the creation of illegal weapons that no one has ever seen or heard of before.

 

“Wait...”

 

Yuri’s loud voice makes everyone turn their attention towards him, but the boy is too busy scowling at Yuuri to notice. Intense green eyes lock onto brown as the blonde’s rage starts to peek through.

 

“If you knew they were part of some larger crime syndicate why didn’t you fucking tell us earlier!?” Yuri suddenly shouts.

 

Yuuri drops his head, guilt crashing back down on him after his moment of usefulness. Quietly, he mutters his pathetic response.

 

“I-I didn’t remember until now…”

 

“Didn’t remember!? You could have prevented any of this from happening! The old geezer might be dead because of you!”

 

Yuri’s words cut straight to the core, and his own doubt and self-loathing amplify a hundred times over now that someone else actually agrees with his mistakes. Feeling a knife twisting around in his heart, he clenches his hands and keeps his stare rooted to the ground.

 

“I know…” He whispers, voice shaky as the tears threaten to come back full force.

 

“Yurio, stop it.” Phichit intervenes with a commanding tone in his voice that is rarely present. “It’s not Yuuri’s fault that he was kidnapped and tortured to near death. In fact, it’s yours. So don’t patronize him over not being able to remember a few little details when he thought he was going to die.”

 

The man’s words shut Yuri up immediately, and after sending a fierce glare in the boy’s direction, he leans his head closer to Yuuri in order to speak quietly among the two of them.

 

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault.” He whispers.

 

Phichit obviously knows what’s going on in his mind, and he can feel the man’s arm tighten around him once again to comfort him. Phichit is slightly terrifying when he is defending one of his friends, and Yuuri feels marginally better for just a moment before he considers Yuri’s words. He doesn’t bother arguing, but now that he recalls this tiny piece of information, there really is no other explanation.

 

_‘Everything really is my fault… If I had only remembered earlier… If I just paid more attention when I was taken… I could have prevented all of this… I could have saved Victor… I could have saved everyone…’_

 

All of a sudden, a new voice cuts through the silence of the group.

 

“Yuuri.”

 

It’s Otabek. Yuuri’s head snaps up to meet the man’s eye, apprehension filling his body in all the spaces that aren’t already occupied by remorse. The young man is standing just outside of one of the larger tents that Yuuri believes belongs to Mila and Sara, but a light glow is now peeking through the crack of the front flap.

 

_‘Please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay.’_

 

“Could you please join me?”

 

Although phrased as a question, the order is obviously not optional. Dread immediately fills his body, freezing him to the spot before he can even think to move. The man slightly steps to the side and pulls back the curtain to invite him into the tent, and all the while his nails are creating crescent shaped indents in the palms of his hands.

 

_‘Oh god please be okay. Please be okay. Please be okay.’_

 

He swallows hard, and he looks at Phichit before nodding and letting go of his friend. Slowly making his way forward, he takes deep breaths in through his nose before exhaling through his mouth, attempting to calm the rush of emotions swirling through his body.

 

_‘He’s going to be okay… He’s gotta be okay…’_

 

Finally reaching the threshold, he takes one last look at Otabek, trying to discern any sort of hint as to what to expect before heading in. Finding the straight faced expression that is always present, he quickly glances back to the group before ducking inside.


	35. Heavy Heart

Mila and Sara’s tent is surprisingly large, and there is even enough room to stand up in the middle with a few inches to spare. Two lanterns are hung on the beam that runs straight down the center, and they emit a generous amount of light in the enclosed space. Backpacks have been shoved into the corners and a small crate sits off to the side with a familiar setup. Otabek has his mortar and pestle resting on top with a tray filled with brown liquid, sponges, string, and a metal hook. The man’s medical bag is spread open right next to the impromptu table on the right side of the tent, and on the left, two bedrolls are stacked together in order to support the unconscious man lying on top of them.

 

Chris is kneeling beside his friend, staring down until Yuuri walks in followed by Otabek. The young, raven haired man feels as if his heart is going to pound straight out of his chest, fear and anticipation increasing his heart rate to inhuman levels. Yuuri freezes as soon as his eyes land on the older man, ignoring everything else in the room as he frantically scans every inch of the man’s body as he lays as still as the grave.

 

Victor looks paler than normal. All of the previous blood and dirt on his body and clothes has either been wiped away or discarded, leaving him lying there in nothing but his black underwear. His hair is back to its original platinum shine, but it looks just as disheveled as Yuuri feels. There is a large bandage neatly wrapping the majority of his right bicep, with another encompassing his forehead like a headband. His exposed chest almost looks like a piece of art, as the man’s usual muscular form that would normally be comparable to a pristine marble statue is now stained with a large, mottled bruise on at least half of his torso. Several superficial cuts and contusions are scattered around various parts of the man’s body as well, and it seems as if there is at least one or the other every few inches.

 

Swallowing hard, Yuuri can feel his hands trembling, and he is unable to look away from the silver haired man as he draws in a shaky breath.

 

“I-Is he…?”

 

He doesn’t want to say the word, but thankfully he doesn’t have to.

 

“No.” Otabek answers, stepping around him in order to go further into the tent.

 

A rush of air escapes his lungs, and this time the tears that threaten to fall are from pure joy. Despite the relief that splashes across his body like cold water on a hot summer’s day, it unfortunately doesn’t last long before reality barges back in.

 

“But I need you to tell me everything you know about his injuries.” The young doctor continues. “As far as I can tell, there is a deep cut on his right arm, one on his forehead, one on the back of his head, and the obvious bruising and small scratches. But I need to know everything just in case there are unseen complications.”

 

Yuuri furrows his brow. “I’m not really sure what else to tell you…”

 

“Just tell me everything you can remember about what happened when you two were together.”

 

Nodding, he quickly looks back and forth between the two men who are waiting to hear his response before his eyes are reflexively drawn back to Victor. Even when he’s battered, bruised, and unconscious, Yuuri still thinks he couldn’t be any more beautiful, but previous experience tells him otherwise. The man looks peaceful, just like he’s asleep, except all of his muscles are relaxed with no tension held in any part of his body. Eyes roaming over the subject of his newfound affection, he feels the familiar sting of guilt pierce his heart before he starts to speak.

 

“Well, after the boss showed up, I’m fairly certain that Victor was the one to find me… But then he was pushed into fighting someone else and I didn’t see him until I found him in the woods battling an enormous human being maybe ten minutes later? Not even?”

 

Sparing a glance around the tent, he sees Chris nodding his head and Otabek staring at him intently, waiting for him to continue. Taking a deep breath in, he looks down towards his hands fidgeting in front of him as he recalls what happened next.

 

“He was already more than a little beat up… His arm and forehead were already badly hurt, so much so that his right arm was just hanging limply by his side… But he was still fighting and refused to run...” Yuuri huffs out a small, deprecating laugh. “He didn’t want to leave me alone… Next thing I know he took a hard hit that neither of us saw coming… and it was strong enough to send him flying back into a tree…”

 

He is forced to pause, betrayed by his own voice as it starts to waiver. Sorrow, dread, and remorse inch their way back into his mind and tighten like a vice over his heart, causing him to choke out his next words.

 

“By the time I got to him, I couldn’t tell if he was breathing… He was unconscious and he wouldn’t wake up and I—”

 

The lump in his throat cuts him off once again. He clenches his fists in front of him, cursing himself for being so weak, both now and during their fight. Not daring to look up, he can feel the familiar prick in his eyes as he tries his damnedest to hold back his tears. Taking a deep breath in, he quickly finishes.

 

“So I picked him up and carried him back... And that’s all I know…”

 

Unable to hold back a sniffle, he suddenly feels a large hand rest on his shoulder and give a tight squeeze. Looking up, he sees Chris’ emerald eyes locked on his own.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Yuuri barely registers the words because they are so hard to believe. His mouth gapes open but no words manage to come out, as his brain is too busy fighting over whether he should ask why or just flat out reject the man’s gesture. Unable to decide, he chooses to simply close his mouth and say nothing.

 

Chris stares at him a moment longer, obviously working something out in his head, but his eyes are searching, scanning Yuuri’s face and making him feel like the man is looking into his soul. As if finding the answer, he quickly nods, glances back at his friend, then brushes past Yuuri and slips out of the tent. Mildly confused, Otabek’s voice cuts through his thoughts before he thinks too hard about what just happened.

 

“You probably saved his life by bringing him back as soon as you did. After what you described, I wouldn’t be surprised if he suffered internal and external hemorrhaging if he was out there any longer without medical attention.”

 

The man’s words do nothing to ease the thoughts rushing around in his head. Everyone keeps acting like Yuuri isn’t the one to blame and that his efforts are commendable, when he knows that’s not the case. He’s the reason behind any of this, but it seems Yuri is the only one who agrees with him. Not sensing his inner turmoil, Otabek continues on.

 

“As long as the injury on the back of his head isn’t too severe I expect that he’ll wake up soon, but it is hard to tell when he’s still unconscious. If he isn’t awake by the morning then we may have to consider other options, but for now I believe that he has a mild concussion and the abrasion is most likely due to the impact with a rough patch of tree bark.”

 

The explanation acts like a soothing balm on Yuuri’s mind. Just being able to know that the situation isn’t as bad as he originally thought is enough, at least for now.

 

“Since there isn’t anything else we can do for him at the moment I would suggest that you use that time to sort yourself out. Do you have any injuries I should take a look at?”

 

It takes a few seconds for his brain to catch up, and once he registers the question he stutters out a reply as fast as he can.

 

“N-no. At least I don’t think so.”

 

Otabek raises an eyebrow, glancing back at Victor before turning back to him.

 

“Very well. Let me know if you need anything.”

 

Yuuri can only nod as he watches the man pack up his bag in silence, and it barely takes a minute before the young medic gives him one last look before he walks out into the night. It is only when he consciously acknowledges his breathing as the only sound filling the space that he realizes he is alone with Victor once again.

 

His eyes immediately shoot back to the unconscious man at the side of the tent, and this time he takes his time as he carefully memorizes every detail he possibly can. Stepping up to the side of the bed, he slowly sinks to his knees and tries to ignore the burn of his muscles that are still shaking from overuse. Each cut, bruise, and bandage that he sees is just another reminder of his failure, and now that he has no other important concerns to address, he finally lets the tears flow freely.

 

Instead of the heaving sobs he was experiencing earlier, this time his tears are tamer. The massive crushing weight of fear and self-loathing slips away and allows for sorrowful acceptance to take its place. Small droplets of water form a steady stream as they run down his cheeks, clearing away some of the blood and dirt to form smooth channels of clear skin.

 

“I’m so sorry Victor.” He whispers.

 

His quiet apology is followed by a rush of thoughts that he doesn’t dare say aloud.

 

_‘I’m not good enough for you. You deserve better. I can’t let this happen to you again. Not because of me. I’m so sorry.’_

 

He’s not sure how long he sits in front of the man crying, but as soon as his tears run out, he sniffles, and without thinking he reaches out to gently brush the man’s fringe out of his face. The past week, hell even the past month, has been the best and worst month of his life and he never even realized it until now. Watching the silky strands fall back into a state of disarray as he removes his hand, he can’t help but think of how similar the moment is to all of the soft mornings they spent waking up next to each other.

 

The times when no one else was around was when something seemed to change between the two of them, and the last few days had been filled to the brim with those stolen moments. Late nights spent quietly chatting about anything and everything, with crazy stories and little details about their lives being shared in the confines of a single hotel room. Eventually he found it impossible to resist, and simply surrendered to the feeling of _safe, warm, safe,_ as they lied next to each other before drifting off to sleep, completely secure with the other’s presence. Early mornings quickly turned into time they spent wrapped up in each other’s embrace, neither of them acknowledging when it happened but neither of them pulling away, perfectly content to enjoy the small comfort.

 

Of course those indulgent flashes of memories are accompanied by the equally genuine, playful moments, where time was spent bumping shoulders and telling silly jokes that made him snort for the first time in years. They’ve barely known each other for a month, and yet Yuuri knows that he hasn’t smiled this much in his entire life than when he is with Victor. Even when he was scared or homesick it was as if the other man knew and wanted to cheer him up, and he can’t even begin to appreciate the amount of help he received when he couldn’t walk. Not to mention the huge fact that Victor saved him not only once, but twice, from the vile man who did such despicable things.

 

Even now that he has the worst experience of his life under his belt, he can’t help but smile at the fact that those horrid memories were replaced with something better. Their days this past week were always spent together, and the few times they were separated didn’t last long. As soon as one of them walked into the room, both sets of eyes would be on the other in an instant. Every word spoken between them and curious glance sent their way, was another piece of the puzzle that allowed Yuuri to see more of the true Victor.

 

It physically starts to hurt when Yuuri’s thoughts start to turn to the man himself. The way Victor’s smile is brighter than the sun, or even just the way his mouth quirks into what can only be described as an adorable, heart shaped grin. Even now he can clearly imagine the sound of his voice, echoing through his mind at the same time as it wraps a warm blanket around his soul. He swears he can hear angels singing when he remembers the beautiful laugh that escapes Victor’s pink lips, and he treasures the soft cadence of the man’s voice during the times when he whispered his thoughts in the dead of night.

 

What never fails to take Yuuri’s breath away however, is the way the man’s eyes shine as if they contain all the stars in the sky, encompassing a whole universe within the small spheres that run as deep as an ocean. Equally as important, is the fact that Victor’s azure irises are the most stunning shade of blue, with a hue that looks as if it has been plucked from the sky during a clear summer day, starkly contrasting the man’s fair white skin. Wrapping around his body like the finest silk clothes, there has never been a blemish that the young man has seen until now, and yet the small spatter of freckles on his shoulders and nose that appear in the sun are cute enough to cause Yuuri’s heart to skip a beat.

 

Everything about the man in front of him is perfect, and he can’t imagine any flaws impeding his beautiful features or tainting his wonderful personality except for one. Himself. It is almost hard to believe that he never realized how infatuated they were with each other until now, and of course it is just his luck that he figures it out only in time for everything to fall apart. He’s caused the man more pain than he’s worth, and he would take it all away over a thousand times if it meant that Victor would never have to suffer a single day in his life.

 

But Yuuri can’t do that. So with a heavy heart, he stands up in the large tent, wobbling ever so slightly before locking all of his feelings away and turning around.

 

“I’m sorry…” He whispers once again, setting his sights on the entryway.

 

Each step he takes away from Victor feels like a knife in his chest, and if he thinks he hears his name being mumbled from behind him he refuses to notice, because if he did, he wouldn’t be able to pull back the flap and walk out the door.


	36. Guilty Party

_The forest is dark. The forest is dark and Yuuri is scared. He is running as fast as he can through the woods, whipping his way past the branches that are reaching out to slow him down. His heavy panting and the snapping of twigs is barely heard over the harsh wind howling through the night. There is no light guiding him in the right direction, and he’s not even sure which way he came from, but he knows he has to hurry._

 

_It feels like he’s sprinting forever, but just when it feels like he can’t go on, with a snap and a yell, he’s falling. Tumbling down the side of a hill covered in fallen pine needles, hard roots, and thorny thickets, until he hits the bottom hard. Covered head to toe in scratches and dirt, he has a difficult time forcing his arm underneath him in order to push himself up off the ground, but once he does, he knows he has found what he’s been looking for._

 

_In front of him stands a large stone platform, rectangular in shape and with a small set of stairs leading up to it on every side. A blinding white light shines straight down from somewhere up above, illuminating the raised surface. Using the last of his strength to stand back up, he limps his way over and up the stairs, and only when he reaches the final step does he see what is waiting for him on top._

 

_Victor is laying there, looking ethereal in his spotless white button down and brown trousers, with his arms by his side and his eyes closed. Yuuri reaches out to touch the man’s cheek, but as soon as his finger brushes against the soft skin, the stone slab cracks in half, forcing him to take a step back to steady himself as he watches the silver haired man fall through the crack. Screaming out, he’s helpless as the earth under his feet begins to shake, and he falls back down the few steps until he’s back in the dirt._

 

_All of a sudden, two stone walls shoot out of the ground, towering above him as he stares up from the ground. In between the rocks, he sees Victor once again, but this time, the man is covered in gaping wounds that are oozing blood. The image is horrifying, but no matter how many times he tries to stand up to save him he is knocked back down by the same earth supporting his feet._

 

_The next time he looks up he sees the walls start to move, closing in on the fragile man stuck in the middle. Screaming out his cries of protest, he knows what comes next, but no matter what he does the stones keep moving, and the ground keeps pushing him back until he’s in the dirt once again._

 

“No!” He screeches, pushing himself back off the ground once more in a feeble attempt to save Victor, but this time when his eyes fly open, all he can see is darkness.

 

Blinking, he rapidly looks around, gradually realizing that he is inside of the tent that he was originally sharing with Phichit. Focusing on himself, he notices that his breathing is laboured, and his body is covered in a cold sweat even though he is wrapped in a warm blanket. Running a hand through his hair, he leans forward, taking a few deep breaths as he rests his head in his hands and braces his arms on his knees.

 

“It was just a dream…” He whispers to himself. “It was just a dream…”

 

Taking a few more calming breaths, he takes a moment to quell his rapid heartbeat. Once he feels calmer, he lays back down on his bed roll, closing his eyes in order to resume his sleep. The seconds slowly tick by, but no amount of tossing and turning is enough to rid his mind of the image it conjured only minutes ago. Accepting his fate, Yuuri groans before crawling out of his warm cocoon, slipping on his glasses and immediately moving to grab the nearest jacket, but as soon as his fingers brush the fabric, he quickly pulls his hand away as if it has been burned, realizing that the coat is the one that belongs to Victor.

 

A fresh wave of remorse and sorrow rises to meet him, but he quickly shoves it down with everything he has, and moves to grab his own jacket from his bag. Slipping the familiar coat over his shoulders, he thinks for a brief second that it isn’t as comfortable or as warm as the older man’s, but the thought only makes him grab Victor’s jacket with a renewed vigour and head outside.

 

The chill of the early morning seems colder than he remembers, but since it has been a few weeks since their last camp on the road it must have been long enough for the winter frost to start settling into place. Ignoring the bite of the air in his lungs, Yuuri looks up to the sky, only to see the faintest sign light of light glowing a soft purple on the other side of the massive pines. Looking around camp, he sees a small fire still crackling in their makeshift fire pit closer to the carriages, with Phichit and Chris sitting on a couple of crates facing the flames. The proximity of the two men seems almost like it is surpassing the boundaries of friendly companionship, but it is cold and the chilly wind can bring even the most desperate of enemies closer together, so Yuuri quickly looks the other way to check for any other movement.

 

After everything that happened the evening before, the group decided to re-evaluate their night watch shifts during the time that it took for Yuuri to see Victor and get cleaned up. Apparently Victor volunteered to take the first watch the night before, which would explain his absence, and since he was alone no one questioned how they got ambushed so easily, but Yuuri has a hunch that the man might have been distracted.

 

_‘My fault.’_

 

In the end Sara and Mila had volunteered to go first once the fighting was over, with Georgi and Seung-gil taking the second round and Phichit and Chris occupying the last shift until morning. Yuuri and Victor were easily left out of the roster due to their conditions coming back to camp, and Yurio gratefully accepted the time to sleep, insisting that Otabek needed to rest as well in case there was an emergency.

 

Being sociable is currently the last thing on Yuuri’s list of desirable activities, and so once confirms that the coast is clear, he turns to make his way over to the large tent that Victor should still be resting in. The frozen grass lightly crunches under his boots as he walks, and he carefully folds up the man’s jacket in his arms as he approaches. Taking a brief glance back at the fire, Phichit and Chris either haven’t realized he is awake or are currently choosing to ignore him, but either way, it allows him the chance to discretely pull back the front of the tent and slip the jacket inside.

 

He glues his eyes on his hands when the tent is opened in order to avoid looking at the state of the broken man, but as soon the fabric leaves his fingertips, he can’t help but sneak a glance before quickly retreating. The knowledge that Victor is still lying in bed, safe from whatever nightmare Yuuri has put him through is enough of a reassurance for the young man after his rude awakening. Turning away from the tent, he lets out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding, and automatically his fists come up to rub away some of the sleep still accumulating in his eyes. His dream from last night feels like a heavy weight digging into his shoulders, and the lack of proper sleep barely helped to improve the exhaustion that he felt after the fight. Both mentally and physically he isn’t fully functioning, but the dream combined with the jacket made him remember another important detail that he so easily forgot the night before.

 

 _‘The group doesn’t need to know about the giant.’_ He thinks to himself. _‘They’ve been through enough.’_

 

Not wanting the others to follow, he takes one last look to make sure both men are still paying attention to each other rather than him, and seeing that they are, he starts a brisk walk straight towards the tree line. Yuuri knows he couldn’t control himself last night, and that something else was compelling his body to use his magic the way it did, but whatever it was, it has never happened to him before.

 

The dim light of morning gives him a better chance to see the destruction around the field, and he still finds it hard to believe that a magic dagger holds the power to wipe out a miniature army. Crossing the uneven terrain is much faster when it is only him and his muscles are not completely useless, and so he quickly finds himself back at what he can vaguely remember as the spot where he found Victor. Marching into the forest, it only takes a few meagre steps before the trees and bushes thin, and his eyes land on the familiar scene that was recreated in his dreams, except this time it’s real.

 

An odd, secondary wave of relief occurs when Yuuri sees that it is the giant that is still stuck in his gruesome pose between two walls instead of Victor, and he tries not to think too hard about what he did to make the situation possible. Bracing himself, he walks forward with purpose, only there to retrieve one thing before he can head back to camp and forget the fight ever happened. Thankfully the light has increased enough that he can discern proper footing as he makes his way towards the monument, hopping over frozen patches of blood and water that are still dotting the ground, and as soon as he reaches one of the walls, he takes up a firm stance next to the stone.

 

His rigid arms and clenched fists move quickly to his sides, before one by one moving his hands behind his knees and then back in between his legs. A strong bicep curl straight up is the only other motion he completes before the ground rises underneath his feet and becomes level with the top of the wall. He relaxes his stance as he looks over to the monstrosity, and he is oddly pleased to find exactly what he is looking for.

 

Exactly where the man had left it, Victor’s longsword remains buried in the exsanguinated flesh and muscle that is beginning to freeze over. Placing one foot on the top of wall, he finds a sturdy position so that he can grasp the hilt of the sword as he attempts to dislodge the blade from the corpse. He begins to pull, grunting as the effort he has to use becomes greater than he expected, but soon he feels the blade slip free. The force of his pull combined with the weight of the blade throws him off balance, and he barely manages to land back on his platform rather than dropping nine feet to the ground.

 

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Yuuri quickly makes his way down to the ground and heads back to camp. The sky is starting to get significantly lighter, and as he returns he can see two more bodies huddling around the fire. Running out of time, he quickly enters his tent and snags a rag from his bag. With a small twirl of his wrist, he gathers some of the ice off the ground by the entrance, melting it and dampening his cloth. He gives Victor’s sword a quick wipe down, ignoring the unsavoury feeling of dried blood and hard clumps that have adhered to the metal overnight.

 

As soon as he finishes, he inspects the blade for any further imperfections before discarding the cloth on the floor and shifting to exit the tent. Before he can make it back outside however, Phichit comes barreling through the door blocking his way.

 

“Yuuri, it’s time to wake up!”

 

Yuuri doesn’t know what to say as he stumbles back onto the ground, fully dressed and holding Victor’s sword. Phichit finally takes a good look at him, and he watches as the man’s curious brown eyes flicker from his shocked face, to the sword, to the bloody rag on the floor, until they finally come back to his face.

 

“Uh, Yuuri? What are you doing?”

 

“N-nothing!” He quickly stammers out, obviously lying.

 

Phichit just gives him an unconvinced look and raises an eyebrow.

 

“Uh huh… And what are you doing with Victor’s sword?”

 

“I – I was just cleaning it for him!”

 

That is at least the truth.

 

“Okay… And you just so happened to have it on you this whole time?”

 

“I just went back to get it from the woods when I realized we forgot it.”

 

Also true.

 

Phichit sighs. “Alright but could you let one of us know when you’re about to go wandering off on your own again? I mean after everything that has happened I’m kind of surprised you risked going alone.”

 

Yuuri’s eyes widen. His friend’s words remove any sense of anxiety about keeping a secret and instead replace it with guilt. He didn’t even consider if there was any possible threat when he left, and it was stupid of him to cause so much trouble for everyone and not even learn from it. Twice.

 

“P, I’m so sorry… I didn’t think…”

 

A warm hand grasps his shoulder, and Phichit’s equally warm smile slides onto his face.

 

“It’s alright, just let someone know next time okay? I think we’ve had enough excitement for at least a little while don’t you think?”

 

Yuuri nods. “I’ll be more careful. But watch what you say, it almost sounds like you still want me around after all the trouble I’ve caused.”

 

“Yuuri!” Phichit exclaims. “Don’t you dare insinuate that we don’t want you here!”

 

“I’m not saying that you don’t, but I do think you might be better off without me…”

 

The young raven haired man can only stare straight at the ground as he mumbles out his response, but he can hear his friend’s small gasp when he finishes.

 

“Yuuri, please look at me.”

 

Reluctantly he lifts his head, but the despondent face he must be showing makes Phichit’s lips pull into a taught line. Warm hands come up to meet his icy cheeks and he has no other option but to look his best friend in the eye as the tan man starts to speak.

 

“I want you to focus on my next words, Yuuri. I love you. Not in any kind of romantic way that would make this completely awkward and such a dick move right now, but as my friend. My best friend. You didn’t join some rag-tag crew where everyone just hates each other when something goes wrong. You joined a family. We all knew what we were getting into when we started this mission, and along the way it hasn’t been easy, but just because you came along and we ran into a couple more snags that doesn’t mean that we blame all of our problems on the new guy. No matter what you think, everyone here will spill blood sweat and tears for each other, including you. So if I ever see your lonely ass walking away by yourself because you think you can just leave your family, I’m gonna get Georgi to teleport me right next to you so I can bitch-slap you across the face and drag you back myself. Understood?”

 

Yuuri can’t help but let out a light laugh at his friends antics before sniffling and wiping away some tears building up behind his glasses.

 

“Thanks, P.”

 

“Anytime.” He says with a smile. “So, are you going to give that back to Victor?” Phichit asks, tilting his head towards the sword sitting in his lap. “He’s awake now if you want to go talk to him.”

 

Coming back to himself, he looks down at the now spotless glistening steel that forms a heavy weight in his hands. It was his original plan to slip it back inside with the jacket, but the new information makes him reconsider. If he goes now, there is no way that he can avoid a conversation with the older man, and whether it will be about the fight or their feelings he doesn’t want either to happen. Lifting up the weapon, he offers it to Phichit.

 

“U-um, could you maybe go do that? I was going to start packing all of our stuff since we’re going to be leaving soon.”

 

The man hesitantly plucks the sword from his hands and gives him an odd look, but as soon as the burden is taken from him, he turns around to start repacking his bag.

 

“Don’t you want to do it?” He can hear Phichit ask over his rustling. “I thought you might want to speak with him after everything that happened.”

 

Yuuri shakes his head before he realizes his friend probably can’t see what he’s doing. Attempting to muster up the most confident voice he has, he quickly replies.

 

“It’s okay, I was going to wait until later so that he has some time to rest.”

 

He hears Phichit hum behind him as he takes in his words. The lie sounds so convincing coming out of his mouth that Yuuri almost believes it himself, but he knows it will never be true.

 

“Alright. I’ll be back in a little bit to help take down the tent.”

 

With that, his friend heads back outside and Yuuri lets out another huge breath.

 

_‘I wish it could be true…’_

 

Another pang of heartbreak pulses through his body, but he made his decision. Locking his feelings up once again, he continues organizing his own bag before setting it aside and rolling up the bedding. Focusing on work always helps to take his mind off of things, and so he makes a mental checklist at the same time as he stores their stuff. Phichit’s bag seems to be already packed and ready to go, and once the rest is in order he tosses each bundle outside before crawling out himself.

 

Briefly looking around, he can see that a few of the others are doing the same, packing up their bags and tents and loading them onto the carriages. Only a few are now sitting around the fire, and among them Yuuri can easily spot Victor. The man is wearing the same jacket that he returned earlier that morning, and it’s hard not to admit just how well it suits him. There is a small smile gracing the man’s face as his conversation with Chris continues, and the blonde smiles back as he rests a hand on the older man’s shoulder. The atmosphere seems light, warm, and welcoming, and it takes everything Yuuri has not to run over and tackle Victor to the ground.

 

_‘It’s for the best.’_

 

Tearing his eyes away, he immediately starts disassembling their tent and packing it into an impossibly tight roll. Just as he finishes, Phichit walks back over.

 

“Wow that was fast.” The man says, watching as Yuuri ties up the neat bundle. “Looks like you even have time for breakfast!”

 

A brief glance back over to the fire is all it takes for him to respond.

 

“It’s okay. I’m not hungry.”

 

“Are you sure? Victor is under strict orders to rest and I’m sure he’d enjoy some company.”

 

“I’m sure.”

 

The blunt response seems to take Phichit off guard.

 

“Alright, then maybe we could load up our stuff and you could help me start taking down Sara and Mila’s tent?”

 

Yuuri nods. “That sounds good.”

 

Each of them proceed to grab their own backpacks and bed rolls, and Yuuri is quick to scoop up the tent in his arms as well. Phichit simply gives him a small smile and starts making his way over to the wagons with Yuuri in tow.

 

The sun is beginning to rise a little higher in the sky, illuminating the sparkling, frost covered field as the two friends make their way past the the fire pit. As they walk by the few members gathering around the small heat source, the raven haired man develops a sudden intense concentration on readjusting his hold as a light chorus of laughter rings in his ears. Just as they are almost in the clear, he can’t help but take a quick peak over his shoulder only to snap his head forward once again when he is met with the curiosity of two bright blue eyes.

 

Phichit casts another worried look his way when he almost trips over his own two feet as they reach the carriages, but Yuuri just gives the man an awkward chuckle and offers his pile of supplies. However, loading their few items into a cart takes less than a minute, and much to Yuuri’s chagrin, they are all too quickly headed back over to disassemble the other tent.

 

The young man quickly matches pace with Phichit just in time to ask him how long he thinks it will take to get to Luften, which coincidentally coincides with the time that it takes to walk by the group sitting down. He intently stares at his friend as if breaking eye contact is a death sentence, and Phichit gives him an odd look before he answers.

 

“Um… Probably a week if the snow holds out. If not it might be closer to two.”

 

Yuuri hums and gives the man his most convincing contemplative face, until the point comes where he can look forward and only see tents in his vision. Striding up to the largest one, he gets to work on disassembling the outside while Phichit clears up the few items remaining inside. He takes his time pulling apart the knots that hold everything together, watching as his best friend efficiently brings everything back to the wagons with plenty of time to spare.

 

“I just talked to Mila and Georgi, and they said the rest of the stuff should be ready to go by the time we pack up this last tent.”

 

A soft hum escapes his lips as he barely registers his friends words, too focused on meticulously tying a loose end of rope.

 

“But now that Victor can’t ride for a few days he’s going to have to stay on one of the carriages.”

 

Yuuri’s hands freeze. He suddenly feels parched as he tries to swallow the abrupt lump in his throat, and he coughs a couple of times before trying to keep his voice steady as he responds.

 

“And who will be the single rider?” He manages to ask.

 

The simple question is enough to make his heart rate increase tenfold.

 

“Well, I was going to ask Mila but something tells me that you wouldn’t be too happy with that.”

 

His head snaps up to meet Phichit’s gaze on the other side of the tent.

 

“What–!?” His voice cracks, betraying what little confidence he had and making him clear his throat again. “Why would you say that?”

 

Phichit levels him with a stare.

 

“You’ve been acting weird ever since you got back last night Yuuri.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He replies, trying his best to feign nonchalance.

 

“Really? So are you saying you’re going to be perfectly happy when I tell you you’re going to be stuck sitting next to Victor until we get to Luften?”

 

“I–”

 

“Don’t lie to me, Yuuri.”

 

Yuuri glances over his friends shoulder towards the fire and rest of the group before meeting the man’s piercing brown eyes once again. Sighing, he accepts his fate.

 

“Fine. You’re right. But could we please not talk about it.”

 

Phichit gives him another one of his sympathetic smiles, but the gesture makes Yuuri grimace ever so slightly, because to him, it looks more like pity.

 

“I’m not going to ask, and I don’t need you to tell me… But you do need to get your shit together Katsuki, because it’s not hard to see that you’re acting really weird, at least by my standards.”

 

Yuuri gives his friend a weak smile.

 

“Sorry… Thanks Peach.”

 

“So does that mean you’re going to be riding solo with Chris up front?”

 

“If that’s alright.”

 

Phichit frivolously waves his hand in the air.

 

“I don’t care one way or the other. I just hope you’re awake enough to stay on the horse the whole time.”

 

Yuuri’s shoulders sag, cursing himself for not being able to hide anything from the tan man.

 

“Do I really look that tired?”

 

The comment makes his friend snort.

 

“Man, if the circles under your eyes were any darker, people might start mistaking you for a circus clown wearing half of its makeup.”

 

Yuuri’s face falls flat at he continues to stare at his friend, but the look just encourages more laughter to erupt from the younger man.

 

“Yuuri~! Clowns are supposed to be happy!”


	37. The Long Road

As the group finishes loading up their last few items and conducts the final checks on the harnesses for the wagons, Yuuri takes the opportunity to reacquaint himself with riding. Under the watchful eye of Seung-gil, he manages to tack up Victor’s horse with only a few minor corrections and notes from the tsundere man, but he is quickly left alone to handle the rest. Mounting a horse is a little harder than Yuuri remembers, and it takes him three tries before he is finally sitting atop the saddle, carefully attempting to maintain his balance as the animal shifts under his inexperienced legs.

 

“Try to keep your back straight and your feet firmly in the stirrups.” Chris calls out beside him.

 

The man must have seen him struggling and mercifully came over to offer a few pointers from on top of his own horse. With no reason to doubt, Yuuri does what he is told, and he is immediately rewarded with better balance and a horse that doesn’t move around so freely. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he turns his head to look at the other man.

 

“Thanks Chris.” He says, mildly embarrassed by his struggle. “I’m gonna need all the help I can get.”

 

The green eyed man gives him a warm smile in return.

 

“No problem chéri, I’m here to help. Besides, practice makes perfect!”

 

Turning back to look down at the reins, Yuuri grasps the leather lightly before squaring his shoulders and starting a short practice loop around the rest of the group. It doesn’t take long to familiarize himself with the directional commands once again, and soon he is lifting his head to look around while he moves. Everyone is busy saddling their own horses or chatting among themselves as they wait, and he can see that those riding on the wagons are already paired up and ready to go. Yuri must have figured out that the easiest way to be partnered with Otabek was to exploit Mila and Sara’s love affair, because the two women are cuddling up front while the blonde is animatedly talking to his friend from the seat of their own wagon in the middle of the convoy.

 

Sparing a brief glance to the last carriage, Yuuri quickly averts his gaze towards the forest when he sees Victor and Georgi look up in his direction as he rides by. The haunting image of Victor lying on a stone slab in the middle of a dark forest flashes in his mind before he physically winces and closes his eyes.

 

“It was just a dream…” He mutters to himself, quickly reopening his eyes to see where he’s going. “Just a dream.”

 

Already passing the end of the wagon, he then comes across Phichit and Seung-gil expertly mounting their steeds, and they are quick to acknowledge Yuuri’s presence.

 

“Well look at you go!” His best friend shouts with a huge grin plastered on his face.

 

Yuuri can’t help but feel a small flush fill his cheeks at the praise, and he shakes off the dark feelings that resurfaced only seconds prior as he responds.

 

“I’m still pretty bad since my only lesson was three weeks ago,” he says, rolling his eyes, “but I think I’m doing alright…”

 

“Well it looks like you’re doing great!”

 

His friend’s enthusiasm appears to be contagious as a smile spreads across his face in response.

 

“Are you guys all ready to go back here?” He asks.

 

Phichit nods. “Yup! We just finished our last checks so whenever you and Chris want to move out we’re good to go!”

 

“Alright, I’ll go let him know.”

 

Making a wide turn, Yuuri dares to encourage his horse into a slight trot on his way back up the other side of the group, enjoying the freedom he has maneuvering the horse wherever he pleases and letting the last negative thoughts drift away in the wind. Finding the older man amiably chatting with Mila and Sara, he slows to a stop beside their wagon in order to relay Phichit’s information.

 

“Excellent!” Chris enthusiastically replies. “Do you think you’ll be able to handle a few hours of riding?”

 

“I’m sure I’ll be okay. It can’t be much worse than a wooden bench, right?”

 

Mila and Sara exchange a look before they both start to giggle. Furrowing his brow, Yuuri looks back over to Chris who is wearing another one of his sly smirks.

 

“What?” The young man asks.

 

Of course, Chris is the first to reply with a big smile on his face.

 

“Let’s just say your first ride is gonna be a little rough, but eventually your thighs will gain some muscle and you’ll get used to your ass being pounded like no tomorrow.”

 

The statement makes Yuuri feel the telltale tingle of a blush start to creep up his neck, but thankfully the comment isn’t as bold as the man’s previous escapades.

 

“But don’t worry, I’m sure that will come in handy in the future.” Chris quickly adds with an additional wink.

 

Mila and Sara burst out laughing from their carriage beside the two men and Yuuri’s jaw hangs open like it has a broken hinge. Sputtering for moment, all he can manage are a few garbled syllables before his grip on the reins tighten and the first thing he does is kick his horse forward in order to escape the tidal wave of embarrassment. He can hear Chris bark out a laugh at his abrupt exit, and he risks a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure the others are following and he’s not wandering off on his own. Thankfully, Chris has trotted up in the space between the first wagon and himself, and Mila and Sara are back to cuddling as they begin to bounce along the uneven road. Facing forward once more, the burn of his cheeks slowly ebbs away, and he thinks that it is in his best interest to stay away from Chris, at least for a little while.

 

* * *

 

Time seems to pass by quickly when Yuuri is left alone to his own devices, and he makes sure to keep his focus on either his riding or the scenery rather than let it stray to something less favourable. It has already been three hours since their departure and he can point out several qualities that are different from riding in the front of a wagon; the first being that the others were right, even though he isn’t bumping against a hard wooden bench every few seconds, riding a horse is no less uncomfortable. He can already tell that his thighs are going to be sore from pressing them into the horse’s sides in order to remain seated upright, and that doesn’t even include how his ass and crotch are now subject to a new kind of unpleasant throbbing ache.

 

Ignoring the unfamiliar discomfort is a small change however, because unlike the carriage, there is no backrest or cargo stacked behind him to provide shelter, leaving him open to the elements as they make their way through the forest. Clouds make their way overhead as the day progresses, effectively blocking out the sun and leaving a muted illumination of their path as they continue onward. Meanwhile, a slight breeze trickles through the trees like water in a stream, with each blow attempting to chill each member of the group as it passes through. Yuuri is left tucking his chin into his jacket, cursing himself over how he didn’t think to pack any winter accessories that his family stores in the attic before he left.

 

 _‘As soon as we reach the next town.’_ He thinks to himself.

 

It would be smart to invest in a scarf to ward off the cold tendrils sneaking down his neck, not to mention some proper gloves and maybe a heavier jacket. Winters were definitely cold back in Hasu, but as the road they take continues north, the freezing temperatures will seem a lot more bitter when there is no fireplace to seek refuge by and none of his mother’s food to keep him warm. Sadly, fall is quickly coming to an end, and Yuuri can’t imagine what it will be like when the first snowfall graces the kingdom. He only hopes that they reach their destination before then since the snow will not only make travel by land uncomfortable, it will continue until it reaches the point where it is simply unfavourable and unrealistic.

 

A change in scenery draws his attention away from his wandering thoughts, as he sees a wooden structure coming up on the path ahead. Glancing to his right, he can see Chris marching on without concern, and so he follows suit. As they gradually approach however, the man beside him speaks up.

 

“This should be the bridge that crosses over the Turid River.” Chris begins. “It originates from the large lake beside Karnic and splits into two, going both towards the east and to the north. We’ll take a break here before pressing on and following the stream north, given the weather I have a hunch we’ll be seeing some snow fairly quickly now so we’ll limit our breaks to one a day. Our next stop should be in Styber, which is still a long ride away but at least we’ll be able to spend the night in a hostel.”

 

Yuuri simply nods as he takes in the new information, almost in awe of how smoothly the man transitions into his role as second in command. Chris begins to slow his horse and pull off to the side of the narrow road and the young man follows his lead.

 

“Twenty minutes.” Chris says, effortlessly sliding off his horse and onto the ground. “It would be a big help if you could give some food and water to the horses while we break, just don’t unhitch them from the wagons. I think Mila should have a bucket you can use to fetch some water from the river, and we should also have some pellets for them to eat since most of them aren’t able to move around and graze.”

 

Yuuri hops off his own horse with as much grace as he can manage, but as soon as his feet hit the ground his legs begin to wobble and he immediately grabs onto the saddle to avoid falling over completely.

 

“Sure.” He mutters, steadying himself as he looks back to the older man.

 

Chris is busy staring straight at him, hand covering his mouth and shoulders lightly shaking. The sudden switch back to a light hearted companion is once again jarring, as the soft giggle and relaxed body language is a complete one-eighty from the serious strategist. A look of confusion washes over Yuuri’s face as he tries to discern what is so amusing about losing all feeling in his legs, when it hits him.

 

“Don’t say a word.” Yuuri glares, knowing what comes next.

 

“What!?” Chris asks, throwing up a hand and putting on his best innocent face.

 

“Uh huh. I know what you’re thinking.”

 

The older man seems to take the friendly banter as an invitation as he proceeds to walk straight up to Yuuri, setting one arm against the saddle that he is still holding on to. Forgetting any and all feeling of numbness from earlier, Yuuri tries to take a step back but his shoulders bump into the horse, effectively trapping him in between two animals, one tamer than the other.

 

The distinct fragrance of a strong, almost overpowering cologne unique to the older man wafts up in between them, and the need to inhale makes it hard not to breathe in the musky scent. Chris is staring deep into his amber eyes, a coy smile pulling at his lips as he leans in until there is only a few inches of empty space separating them, but the sudden proximity makes the young man’s breath hitch.

 

Chris hums. “And what is it that I’m thinking, _Yuuri~_?”

 

The enthusiastic purr of his name makes an involuntary shiver run down his spine, and he tries his best to gather up his thoughts enough to respond.

 

“I-I, um…”

 

A throat clearing beside them brings the two men back to reality, and Chris takes a step back so that they can both look over to see who it is.

 

“V-Victor!” Yuuri squeaks, face blooming like a rose.

 

The silver haired man is standing only five feet away at the rear of Yuuri’s horse, arms crossed and head tilted to the side with one eyebrow cocked. His lips are pressed into a firm line and his entire presence screams annoyance, but it isn’t hard to tell by the slumped shoulders and bandage peaking out from underneath his fringe that the older man is still exhausted and fighting through the leftover aches and pains still resonating through his bones.

 

“Christophe. A word.” He says with a chilling tone.

 

Yuuri watches as the man’s blazing blue eyes flicker to him for a fraction of a second before they land back on his friend, glare harsher than before.

 

“Now.”

 

Without waiting for a response, the man spins on his heel and walks off toward the carriages. Yuuri has never heard Victor call his friend by his full name with such animosity, and he quickly looks to the man in question to judge his reaction. Unfazed, Chris simply winks at Yuuri and gives him a reassuring smile.

 

“We’ll continue this later, chéri.”

 

As if nothing ever happened, Chris saunters off to find Victor, and Yuuri can only breathe out in relief before a pang of guilt forms a familiar lump in his throat. That was the first time they’ve interacted since the battle, and of course it happened during a moment that could be easily misinterpreted when they never ended up talking about anything, at least not yet. The falling out the night before was put aside for later in favour of fighting for their lives, but the distance Yuuri is putting between them now is only letting old wounds fester.

 

 _‘I should talk to him…’_ He thinks, balling his fists and leaning back against his horse. _‘At least to apologize… But how am I supposed to do that without confessing everything? Not to mention that he probably doesn’t want anything to do with me.’_

 

_‘Hey Victor, I’m sorry I misled you to think that I’m not gay because I actually am. But we still can’t be together since you’re too good for me and I don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have outside of a relationship.’_

 

_‘Egocentric.'_

 

_‘Hey Victor, I’m sorry you almost died because of me. Oh, how did I get out of there alive? Well apparently my feelings for you are so strong that I blacked out, went crazy, and crushed the guy until he had no more blood left in his body.’_

 

_'Psychotic.'_

 

_‘Hey Victor, I’m sorry you caught me and Chris in an awkward situation together after I told you I’m not into that stuff, but now you probably think I’m just an asshole who doesn’t want to be with you but doesn’t have the balls to tell you.’_

 

_‘Prick.’_

 

_‘Hey Victor, I’m sorry I’ve caused so much misfortune for you and everyone else in the group. I know I haven’t been very useful and a lot of things could have been avoided if I wasn’t here, but I’m selfish enough to stay even though I’m causing more trouble than I’m worth.’_

 

The last thought is enough to cause a stabbing pain in the center of his chest, and his breathing comes to a halt as he actually considers the notion.

 

_‘Useless… Maybe I should just go home…’_

 

The mere idea feels like a crushing weight pushing him toward the ground.

 

_‘I’m sure everyone will be happier without me… Especially Victor…’_

 

Yuuri can feel the watery sensation rushing to the corners of his eyes. His thoughts are quickly turning back on him and he knows that a panic attack will surely follow.

 

“No.” He says firmly to himself, inhaling a shaky breath. “That’s not true… Phichit told me as much this morning.”

 

_‘Everyone says they like having me around and that it’s not my fault… But even if they don’t believe that, I agreed to come in order to find out the truth about the rebellion and make things right, not just to make friends.’_

 

Sighing, Yuuri tilts his head back so that it hits the hard leather of the saddle. He can feel the heavy drag of his eyelids as he closes his eyes, relishing in a moment of nothingness to clear his mind. It’s not hard to tell that the rough sleep last night is doing him no favours both physically and mentally, and the hours of riding is only adding to his exhaustion. Submitting himself to the inevitable, Yuuri does what he does best, proceeds to ignore the problematic thoughts rushing through his mind in favour of manual labor. Right now he has some horses to take care of so they can be ready to go for the long ride to Styber, and as far as he knows, he’s the only one that got appointed the job.

 

Peeling himself off of his horse, he makes his way over to the first wagon only to find no one around. Checking the back, he climbs on top of the cart in order to rummage around their supplies, and he quickly finds a large bucket that he can use for water conveniently stored right next to the feed.

 

“Need some help?”

 

The familiar, bubbly voice makes him peek over his shoulder with a smile. Phichit is standing behind the wagon with his hands resting on the wooden cart and a large smile plastered on his face.

 

“Yes please.” He quickly responds. “Could you take a few bags of pellets over to the horses still hitched to the wagons? Chris doesn’t want to unhook them when we’re on such a tight schedule.”

 

His friend hastily agrees, and Yuuri passes off several small bags before climbing down with his bucket.

 

“Where is everyone else?” Yuuri asks.

 

Phichit readjusts the bags in his arms before responding.

 

“I saw Victor and Chris taking a walk a little ways into the woods to talk, although I’m not sure what about. As for the rest of the group, they’re all chatting by the last carriage and hiding from the wind.”

 

The raven haired man hums, a spike of anxiety shooting back up at the mention of the two men that abruptly disappeared earlier. Without any other prompt, Phichit turns to start feeding the horses some pellets, and so Yuuri takes that as his cue to go gather some water.

 

Walking down to the river, the sound of rushing water quickly drowns out any other noise in the area as he carefully clambers down the small hill, but the lack of trees gives the wind an opportunity to flow freely through the open channel. Not wanting the cool, icy water to further contribute to his lack of warmth, he places his pail down on a flat surface by the riverbank and finds a similar spot for himself nearby.

 

Yuuri quickly glances around to make sure no one is watching before he sweeps his arms across his body with his palms facing out, starting his movement from his left hip and smoothly bringing it up past his right shoulder. The fluid action draws up a tentacle of water from the river, before he switches the direction of his motion and starts alternating his hands in a sphere in front of his chest, causing the liquid to separate and settle into a floating ball. Planting his left foot, he continues to push and pull at the water as he takes a step with his right, guiding the floating element into a stream heading to shore. In one last action, he straightens both arms out to his left, arcing his right and soon after his left up over his head and down against his side. The final push funnels the water into a smooth band heading straight into his bucket, and as soon as it is contained, he relaxes his stance and takes a deep breath to center himself.

 

There is always something calming about using his magic in the heart of nature, and the feeling of isolation combined with the lack of sound makes his art seem more like meditation rather than something dangerous. At the moment, the practiced motions are exactly what he needs, and he can already feel the soothing effect they have on his body and mind after only a minute of use. Just being back in the forest seems to marginally help his mental state as well, reminding him of home, but instead of the lush poplars that he is used to in the summer, he is alternatively surrounded by dense pines on the cusp of winter.

 

Another freezing wind breaks him out of his peaceful rumination, and he quickly grabs his now much heavier bucket and heads back up the slope. The single horses seem to be content grazing on what little grass is left on the side of the road, and so Yuuri heads over to the two animals secured on the first wagon. After letting them have their fill, he moves on to the next carriage but soon runs out of water and leaves to obtain more. Two bucket refills later, all of the horses seem to be content and well rested, just in time for Chris to approach him as he’s climbing down from the cart after storing the pail.

 

“All ready to go?”

 

“Yeah.” He replies. “Phichit helped with the feeding so everything is finished.”

 

“Good.”

 

Chris’ blunt words are said without much warmth, and the young man can’t help but feel like something is off.

 

“Is everything okay?”

 

The man just nods and gives a small smile.

 

“It’s fine. We should get going.”

 

Chris proceeds to brush past him, heading for their horses at the front without saying another word. Considering the older man stated that he had full intentions to come back ready to poke fun and tease some more, it is easy to tell that something is definitely wrong. Glancing around, Yuuri can see the rest of the group heading back to their respective modes of transportation as well, all of them looking perfectly normal and happy except for one. Victor is wearing a matching expression to Chris, and it can almost be described as grim as he heads towards the third carriage with Georgi.

 

“Are you okay, Yuuri?”

 

Mila’s sweet voice snaps him out of his speculation, and he quickly turns his attention to the woman who has appeared right next to him. The slender red head is staring at him with a crease in her brow, and a peak over her shoulder reveals Sara already climbing onto their wagon.

 

“Y-yeah. I’m fine.”

 

She gives him a little smile.

 

“Okay…” Her voice is timid and obviously unconvinced. “You know if you need someone to talk to you can always count on me.”

 

He smiles back.

 

“Thanks, Mila.”

 

“Anytime.”

 

With one last once over, she turns and heads towards her seat next to the love of her life, and Yuuri can’t help but cast another quick glance to the platinum hair at the back of the group. Victor is just barely visible in his seat on the cart, but his expression hasn’t changed. The man is hunched over, resting his chin on his hand with a slight pout pulling on his lips. Georgi is talking animatedly in the spot next to him, but no matter how many hand movements he makes or how much enthusiasm he weaves into his words, he receives no response from the older man.

 

Sighing, Yuuri resigns himself to uncertainty, making his way back up to the front only to see Chris already sitting on his horse and ready to go. The lack of friendly banter as he approaches is unnerving, and the blonde has a thousand mile stare cemented into place even as the young man triumphantly mounts his own steed. After a moment of silence, Yuuri clears his throat.

 

“Are we good to go?”

 

Chris seems to be at least somewhat aware of his surroundings, as Yuuri’s words are enough to elicit a slight nod before the man kicks his horse into a leisurely gait. It couldn’t be more obvious that something happened between the two best friends, and Yuuri is almost tempted to ask what the two men talked about, but it isn’t his place to pry. Quickly readjusting himself into a more comfortable position, or at least as comfortable as he can get,he simply settles into the saddle and follows the other man’s lead. With so much on his mind and a tight lipped riding partner, he already knows they have a long ride ahead of them, and he can’t wait until they finally make it to Styber.


	38. Reprieve

Seven hours. They have been riding straight for seven hours, and Yuuri is starting to think he is going to fall off his horse before they even manage to get to Styber. The sun is long gone behind the trees and the icy air is only getting worse as the dark of night sets in. A small sprinkling of snow began around their fifth hour of travel, but thankfully the heavy pines gave them more than enough cover along the road.

 

After such a long stretch the horses must be just as exhausted as he feels, but at least they don’t have to worry about their fingers freezing off in the cold. Yuuri is sure that the majority of his body is experiencing some tingling or prickling sensation even under the layers of clothing, but the reception of any feeling has long passed and now he is barely able to keep himself upright for the last stretch of road before they can retreat to a comfortable bed for the night. Breathing in a shaky breath, he can feel the cold air trickle down and fill his lungs, but it does nothing to ward off the heavy drooping of his eyelids or the way his head is practically bobbing along with the horse’s footfalls.

 

“We’re here.”

 

Chris’ gruff voice almost isn’t registered by the young man at this point, but since no words have been exchanged between them since the bridge, the break in the silence draws Yuuri’s attention. Forcing his head back, he purposefully blinks in order to bring his surroundings into focus, questioning himself for a brief moment over whether or not he’s even wearing his glasses in the first place since his vision takes so long to adjust. Once it does however, he can see the soft glow of fire silhouetting the trees up ahead, and just the thought of reaching their destination sparks a small flame inside of himself as well. One fist at a time, he brings his hands up to his mouth and gives a few hot breaths into each one, relishing in the short bursts of warmth that shoot through his fingers. Straightening his posture, he collects all of his remaining energy in order to be fully conscious when they arrive, and he looks over to his riding companion to assess the situation.

 

The blonde man seems confident, with his head held high and back as straight as an arrow, as if the long day of travel has had no effect on him whatsoever. Envious, Yuuri looks back toward the upcoming town, and he readjusts the reins as best he can since the wind and temperature drop forced him to pull his jacket sleeves down as far as they could go in order to keep his hands at least mildly protected. Considering no more words are said, he can only guess that things are going according to plan, and five minutes later, the trees slowly begin to dissipate as the convoy finally arrives.

 

Styber is small. Really small. Yuuri can physically look around and count all of the buildings that exist in the area in one fell swoop, which isn’t a miraculous feat considering there is only six, including a barn. But regardless of its size, if he didn’t know any better, he would have thought that they stepped straight into a fairy tale. The biting wind that accompanied them all the way here is effectively blocked by a gigantic wooden mansion lining the west side of the road, and the now still air allows fresh snowflakes to leisurely drift down from the sky. The light dusting of snow in the clearing bluntly reflects the orange glow emitted by the lanterns lining the street, and the two elements combined gently encompass the settlement in a warm blanket of light.

 

Coming to a halt in the center of town, it is almost mandatory that Yuuri takes a moment to let his new surroundings sink in. Five of the developed structures are all modestly sized log cabins, with each one sporting one or two chimneys that are steadily providing a stream of smoke billowing out of the top. However, one large building towers over the rest, standing six stories tall and seemingly just as wide, it’s no surprise that it can shelter the small town just by existing. The enormous logs comprising the exterior would almost look fake if they weren’t arranged in the middle of an identical forest, and an ornately carved archway emphasizes the grand, double door entrance.

 

The scene could easily be a part of a relaxing dream, and Yuuri has to pinch himself to make sure that he hasn’t actually fallen asleep, but the one thing still separating it from reality is the fact that the quaint town is missing its people. The rustling of clothes and the shuffle of boots on the ground draws Yuuri’s attention behind him, and he notices the rest of the group is busy disembarking and leading the carts and horses over towards the barn.

 

Following suit, Yuuri gracelessly dismounts his horse, scrambling for purchase when his legs refuse to work as soon his feet touch the ground, but a hard grip suddenly appears under his arm and quickly hoists him back up, the owner of the helping hand letting out a slight grunt as all of his weight is shifted onto his saviour. Like a bolt of lightning, his mind fixates on the tight grip forcing him forward, violently dragging out memories that were stowed away in the back of his mind. Thankfully the strong, stable hold pulls him up until he manages to get his own two feet back underneath himself before it finally lets go, but Yuuri can't even let out a sigh of relief before he is choking on the cold air as his mind goes dark.

 

_'It’s a shame though, after this you’re not nearly going to be as pretty.'_

_'Wrong answer.'_

_' Are you ready to have some more fun?'_

_'Parker! Set up the rig.'_

_'...times up for you, Yuri...'_

 

"Get away from me!"

 

Screaming his protest, Yuuri’s body finally catches up as he whips around and harshly rips his arm from the tight grip encasing his bicep, but the momentum combined with his unstable legs causes him to stumble forward before crashing down onto the cold, hard ground. He lets out a grunt as his full body hits the dirt without restraint and disturbs the peaceful slumber of the snowflakes resting above it, but the sudden impact catapults his mind back to reality as he spins around frantically taking in his surroundings. 

 

From what he can tell, the whole group is staring at him from a distance, shock and concern mixed together on blurry faces that were heading toward the barn just seconds ago. Hesitantly reaching up, he quickly tries to readjust his glasses for a better view, but no matter where his shaky hands moves them, the picture in front of him refuses to become clearer.

 

_'Oh. I'm crying.'_

 

Sniffling, he wipes the back of his freezing, ungloved hands against his eyes, haphazardly pushing his blue frames out of the way just so he can see as fast as humanly possible, but once everything is back to normal, the sight beside him makes him want to crush his glasses and throw them away forever.

 

Victor is there. Pure, sweet, inhumanly kind, Victor, and he looks broken. His glassy eyes shimmer as if they are about to shatter from the sheer emotion that is so obviously rushing through the silver haired man’s mind and Yuuri can’t help but freeze in his place and get lost in the depths of the storm. Pink lips are parted in shock and the two men must be mirror images of each other, both of them filled with a sense of fear and uncertainty and neither of them willing to move first.

 

"Yuuri! Are you okay?"

 

His best friend's voice cuts through the deadly silence as it rapidly approaches him from the front, and without any thought, he reflexively turns to face the incoming monsoon that is Phichit Chulanont. 

 

"Peach..." 

 

That is the only word he is able to stammer out before his voice is cut off by a sob. He rapidly slaps his hand over his mouth in order to contain any further sounds but it doesn't stop the tears that begin sliding down his cheeks. Meanwhile the tan man drops to his knees as soon as he gets close enough and wraps his arms around the young man like an impenetrable fortress that boasts its immunity, unwavering and unrelenting in its blanket of safety.

 

"It's okay, Yuuri. You're okay." Phichit coos.

 

Finally accepting the embrace, Yuuri returns the hug, leaning into his friend as he tries to calm down the overwhelming memories that slapped him across the face.

 

 _'I'm safe...'_ He thinks.  _'He's gone...'_

 

After a few more moments, the two finally part, letting the cool air rush in between them once again which immediately makes Yuuri's dampened cheeks sting.

 

"Are you okay?" Phichit asks.

 

"Yeah..." Yuuri breathes out, nodding as he once again wipes away the remaining tears.

 

"Can you stand?"

 

He gives another nod, but his friend only backs up enough to continue holding his hands as the pair make their way off of the ground. 

 

“Thanks…” He mumbles.

 

"No worries." Phichit says with a friendly smile. "You wanna head inside?"

 

Yuuri takes the opportunity to look around the area again, expecting everyone else to be waiting on him like the baby fawn he is, but the group is already back to moving everything into the barn for the night and Victor is no where to be seen.

 

 _'I yelled at him...'_ His mind supplies.

 

Swallowing down the hard lump in his throat, he can barely repress a shudder as he begins to take a few steps away from the darkness enveloping his mind.

 

"We should help..." The young man mutters, slowly making his way toward his horse.

 

Phichit seems to hesitate for a second behind him before catching up in order to stay by his side.

 

“Okay... If you want to talk later just let me know.”

 

With nothing more being said, his best friend expertly calls over his steed with a whistle and snatches up the reins, just in time for the two to lead them to shelter together. Once inside, everyone works together in order to unhitch the horses, remove the saddles, stow the wagons, and supply some food and water for the animals. The short process is a welcome distraction from whatever just happened outside, and all the while no one brings it up or even acknowledges the bizarre scene he just caused.

 

Eventually the tremor in his hands begins to dissipate as he works, and he continues to take deep measured breaths in order to fully come back to himself as he completes the mundane tasks. As soon as they finish, they all start grabbing their backpacks and begin to walk back over to the same enormous building that the silver haired man must have entered several minutes ago, all of them shuffling across the road just a little bit faster as they think of the warmth that awaits them inside. Phichit in the meantime makes sure to stay by Yuuri’s side for the quick stint to the mansion, and he couldn’t be more grateful since the young man’s presence alone is provides a grounding sense of comfort.

 

The change of pace from riding all day is also keeping his mind occupied for the time being as he nears the front steps, and Yuuri takes a moment to admire the craftsmanship of not only the building, but the large, wooden archway framing the small staircase as well. The lavish detail carved into the wood is awe inspiring, and the more his eyes rove over the sculpture, the more intricate designs he notices. The whole structure follows a woodland theme, showcasing the various flora and fauna that can typically be found in this particular region of the boreal forest, from adorable bunnies to a powerful bear. It is absolutely amazing, and it is clear to see that whoever sculpted this stunning piece must be a true master of their craft.

 

All too soon his attention is pulled elsewhere, because it only takes a few meagre steps before they’re up the stairs and across the landing. The group awkwardly shuffles inside the enormous double doors and out of the cold in a matter of seconds, and the dramatic change of temperature makes Yuuri’s glasses fog up for a few seconds before he can get his bearings.

 

The inside of the monstrous cabin looks just like one would expect, with every possible surface, furniture, and piece of décor, either completely made out of wood or incorporating it into the design, with the exception of a large fireplace on the other side of the room that is built entirely out of stone. The foyer is illuminated by several golden sconces adorning the walls alongside the roaring fire burning brightly in the hearth, with a couch, two armchairs, and a coffee table, all facing the fire.

 

Other than the typical room adornments, the only other occupied space is in the corner of the room immediately to their right. An elderly man with a long grey beard is sitting hunched over at a desk, hastily scribbling away in a large book before looking up to address his new visitors. A polite smile falls into place as he puts down his quill and proceeds to stand.

 

“You must be Mr. Nikiforov’s crew, correct?”

 

Within a fraction of a second, Chris steps forward to speak on their behalf.

 

“That is correct. Was he able to make arrangements to stay overnight?”

 

“Of course!” The old man happily replies, eyes wrinkling even more than they already have out of old age. “We don’t get many visitors out here so close to winter, so we always have extra room when travellers stop by. Mr. Nikiforov said there are ten of you in total, is that correct?”

 

Chris simply nods.

 

“Excellent. I already gave a key to your silver haired friend, but the rooms are able to accommodate two people each. They are all located on the second floor in the north wing of the building and we also have a small kitchen down the hall on the south side of the estate if you wish to make a meal for yourselves.”

 

“Thank you for your hospitality.” Chris smoothly replies.

 

The older man just gives a toothy grin in response and turns to start plucking several room keys off of a large cork board covered in hooks and keys. Taking that as their cue, Phichit quickly steps forward to accept one of the keys and turns back to Yuuri with a smile of his own.

 

“Let’s go get settled in, roomie.”

 

The nickname makes Yuuri’s lips quirk up ever so slightly, unable to resist the charismatic pull of his best friend.

 

“Sounds good.”

 

With that, the pair heads off down the hall until they find a staircase to get to the second floor, but Yuuri lets out a sigh and a groan as he suddenly remembers his situation. Even the three stairs outside of the building were a little bit of a struggle for him after the long hours of riding, and now with a whole flight to ascend, he’s almost regretting his decision to pass on the wagon. Hesitating for a moment before taking his first tentative steps, his thighs burn with the exertion necessary to defy the tempting pull of gravity. His struggle must be fairly obvious as he hears the familiar giggle of Phichit above him, the tan man already halfway up to the second floor.

 

“Shut up.” He groans, clutching the banister and using it to pull himself up.

 

“You’re just such a rookie.” Phichit replies through more laughter, obviously trying to lighten the mood, and to Yuuri's chagrin, being successful.

 

"You're lucky you knew how to ride when I came along, otherwise we'd at least be even."

 

Phichit hums. "Yes, such a shame." He adds with a flamboyant sigh. “But I think you got me beat considering the last time you just had Victor carry you.”

 

A mix of heartbreak and embarrassment force Yuuri to duck his head, attempting to focus on the task at hand.

 

_'Back when he didn't hate me…’_

 

“You heard about that?” He quietly mumbles.

 

He can hear his friend huff out another laugh.

 

“What can I say, if there’s juicy gossip going around you can bet I’m the first to know. But at the same time, I’m appalled you didn’t tell me! It’s practically betrayal that you would hide such a tasty little tidbit from me.”

 

“Well if you recall, I only just realized that I was gay last night, so at the time how was I supposed to know it was Phichit-worthy gossip?”

 

The man hums in response. “Fair enough. I’ll let it slide this time Katsuki, but if I hear about any more Victor, heart-throb, Nikiforov stories and they aren’t coming from you, I will show you no mercy.”

 

Now it’s Yuuri’s turn to huff out a laugh as he looks up at the tan man waiting at the top of the stairs.

 

“Thanks. You’re a real friend.”

 

Phichit’s grin is smug.

 

“Aren’t I just.”

 

Another few demanding steps finally brings him to the second floor, but before they can even walk into the hall, they hear the familiar sound of a door slamming shut. The pair quickly take a look around their immediate vicinity and then spare a glance down the hallway but see nothing. Shrugging it off as an odd coincidence or a noisy neighbour, they start meandering down the corridor, perusing the iron numbers nailed to each door and looking for one that matches their key. As soon as they find the correct room, Phichit unlocks the door and the pair quickly step inside.

 

Filled with a lone dresser and two single beds, the room is small, but neither of the men care as they immediately drop down on the mattresses and simultaneously let out a sigh. Now that there is nothing else they have to worry about for the remainder of the night, Yuuri can feel the exhaustion settling in once again, automatically closing his eyes and relaxing his limbs as he sinks into the soft sheets. He can hear Phichit groan and roll over on the opposite bed, but he is too tired to move from his new spot.

 

“I think I’m going to go find some food. Did you want to come?”

 

Yuuri twists his head so that his mouth isn’t smooshed into the pillow.

 

“And climb those stairs again? No thank you.”

 

Phichit just laughs as he stands back up.

 

“Alright, I’ll bring you something back if you don’t pass out before then.”

 

The young man simply grunts, suddenly too tired to even form coherent words as he closes his eyes.

 

After a moment of silence, he cracks open an eye only to see the tan man waiting awkwardly in the middle of the room, hands clasped together in front of him and shifting his weight back and forth.

 

“Are you gonna be okay?” His friend hesitantly asks.

 

Taking a deep breath, Yuuri centres himself before he pushes himself up and looks Phichit in the eyes.

 

“I’ll be fine, I promise.” He replies with a tired smile.

 

“Are you okay right now?”

 

The follow up question takes the raven haired man off guard. Blinking, he thinks about how he feels before he gives his honest opinion.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

Phichit nods.

 

“Do you want me to stay?”

 

Yuuri quickly shakes his head.

 

“No. Go get something to eat. I’m just gonna fall asleep anyway.”

 

“Okay…” The younger man breathes, obviously unsure about leaving him alone. “Sleep well, Yuuri.”

 

“Thanks, P.”

 

With that, his best friend finally turns and heads out the door, immediately immersing him in a concrete cocoon of silence. Knowing that the day is going to catch up with him any second, Yuuri reluctantly stands up in order to change into a clean shirt and take off his boots. Without any other delay, he pulls back the covers and slips right in, appreciating the comfort of the bed and the warmth of the blanket as he sinks into a state of near bliss. Closing his eyes one last time, he is finally ready to catch up on some well-needed rest and escape his tormented reality if only for a night.


	39. Conversation Starter

Victor’s mind is running a mile a minute. He is currently propped up against the door to his room, back to the wood as he starts scanning through every single one of his recent memories. He thought he understood clearly when Yuuri broke it off, like everything they had done up to that point meant nothing to him, but now he’s not so sure. He was stupid. He was stupid and selfish, and instead of running away like an angst filled teenager he should have just talked to the man like a grown up. But he didn’t.

 

_‘It’s my fault. Everything is my fault. If I had thought about anyone other than myself for one god damn second none of this would have happened. If I had just stayed to talk to him... If I didn’t walk away... If I wasn’t such a self-obsessed asshole, he would have never tried to come and see me last night...’_

 

Before his train of thought runs off the tracks, a loud knock behind him makes him jump away from the door. It takes a second to register the noise for what it is and he places a hand over his chest to calm the rush of fear that pushed his heart into overdrive. He quickly recovers enough to turn around and open the door, just to find Chris standing in the hallway with his bag hanging off of his shoulder and a less than amused look on his face.

 

“Really, Victor? You paid for five separate rooms of two, just to stay away from him? I mean I get things have been a little crazy lately but come on, this is just childish.”

 

The blonde brushes past him and throws his backpack on one of the two single beds pushed against the wall. Victor shuts the door in the meantime and spins around, heading straight for his friend.

 

“Chris, is Yuuri gay?”

 

The odd question surprises the other man, but that look is quickly replaced by confusion and annoyance as he blatantly ignores what his friend had to say when he opened the door. Sighing, Chris sits down on the bed, leaning back on his arms and crossing his legs.

 

“Yes. We’ve been over this already.”

 

“But when did you know he was gay?”

 

“Why does that matter?”

 

“Just answer the question.”

 

Chris squints in his direction, irritation obviously growing every second with his behaviour.

 

“The day we left Hasu.” He blandly states. “Now what does this have to do with anything?”

 

"Did he tell you or was it just an educated guess?”

 

“Intuition. Now answer my question.”

 

Running a hand through his mop of silver hair he lets out a breath, turning the new information over in his head as he paces the short length of the room.

 

“He didn’t know.” Victor states.

 

“You’re going to have to explain more than that.”

 

“He didn’t know!” He reiterates. “Yuuri didn’t know he was gay! I mean, to us it was blatantly obvious and he did tell me that I had beautiful eyes when we rescued him from that hell hole of a dungeon we found him in, but we’re used to picking up on these things so it wasn’t a big deal. I just thought he was shy and super flustered all the time.”

 

“But he _is_ super shy and he _is_ super flustered all the time, and may I remind you he was pretty fucking out of it when we found the poor boy shackled to the ceiling. He could have been hallucinating for all we know. But that’s beside the point. You have yet to tell me why any of this matters, let alone why this is relevant after he practically had a mental breakdown outside. How do you even know that he didn’t know that he was gay?”

 

The question makes Victor halt his steps as he faces the wall.

 

“I kind of overheard him and Phichit talking when they came up the stairs...”

 

“Kind of? So you were eavesdropping?”

 

“I was not!” Victor exclaims, whirling back around to defend himself.

 

“Then what did you say to them? Or better yet, did they even know you were there?”

 

Victor looks down towards the floor.

 

“I may have been around the corner... In my defence I heard my name being called out from the stairwell just as I was heading back down the hall to grab something to eat, but since I was at the top of the stairs I just started to hear things... By the time they reached the second floor I had already ran back to the room before they saw me...” He mumbles.

 

“Huh. So, you listened in on a conversation that was not directed towards you and then disappeared before they even knew you overheard them. Sounds like eavesdropping to me.”

 

The silver haired man sighs as he looks back at his friend. “You’re missing the point.”

 

“Then please, enlighten me.”

 

A spark of frustration flares through Victor’s body at the blonde’s blunt responses, but he can’t just drop the topic after he made such a big deal over it as soon as his friend walked through the door. Choosing to talk it out, he walks over to the unoccupied bed and sits down, body facing Chris but eyes glued to the floor.

 

“Ever since Yuuri joined the group I’ve liked him, and as you know I’m not exactly subtle when it comes to demonstrating my affections. I know you of all people must be sick and tired of hearing all of my rants about it but I just can’t keep it all bottled up sometimes...”

 

Victor begins to quietly shuffle his feet on the floor to distract himself from everything he has to say. Chris has already heard the standard bit numerous times before, but the broken record makes sure to skip over a few things, because as of late, there are much more pressing matters he would like to discuss with his confidant.

 

“After Yuuri was kidnapped it was so hard to just sit around and do nothing while we waited for him to wake up, and once he did I was so relieved and yet wracked with guilt at the same time. I refused to leave him alone, because that was my fault, I let that happen to him. Mercifully, being the sweet and kind human being that he is, it didn’t take long before he seemed to be just attached to me as I was to him, and that’s when we started to get really close. During that time he started to open up more and leaned on me in a way he never had, and I thought he stopped being so shy around me because maybe he liked me too. Neither one of us admitted it but I know the whole situation with the boss made us both scared, except when he was having nightmares of his time in the basement I was thinking about how I would feel if I lost him... and that terrified me. I started wishing that he never left my side again, just so that I could protect him, unlike before...”

 

Sparing a glance at his friend, he sees Chris is now leaning forward, intently listening to every word falling from his lips as he lets everything out.

 

“Then last night happened... and I was such a fucking prick to him. I suggested we share my tent, and considering that we’ve been sharing a room for a week back in Karnic I figured it would just establish what we had as something that didn’t have to end, but he told me he was already bunking with Phichit. I was upset that he would choose someone else over me, as if that hasn’t been the story of my life.”

 

The last few words are said with a self-deprecating laugh, but the sound falls flat and the somber mood from before seeps right back in.

 

“Thinking back on it I know I jumped the gun. I backed him into a corner, pushing him into what I didn’t know was unfamiliar territory for him. Then he said what he has with Phichit is the same as what we had in Karnic and I took that to heart thinking that our time meant absolutely nothing, that he was just there for a good time, not a long time, before we go our separate ways. But then he told me he wouldn’t want to do that kind of stuff anyway, and instead of clearing up this whole misunderstanding, my dumb ass just got confused and offended and I walked away. All the while I’m thinking that Yuuri just told me he wasn’t interested in being gay even after we literally shared a bed and cuddled for a whole week.”

 

At this point Victor just sighs and hangs his head in his hands.

 

“Then that perverted leader showed up... And I wasn’t there again... I was supposed to be on watch but I was just so god damned irritated that I went for a walk to clear my head. By the time I got back I–”

 

The older man pauses, unable to even think of what he stumbled upon.

 

“I don’t know how he got free but the things he was doing to him Chris... The things he was going to do...”

 

“I know.” Chris’ gruff voice finally contributes to the conversation. “After hearing the commotion you were making outside, the rest of us started coming out and joining the fight. Once I saw what was happening to Yuuri I broke out into a sprint and tackled the guy before I even had a chance to grab my swords.”

 

The new perspective helps to fill in some of the missing pieces of last night, since the next time he saw Yuuri was when they were in the woods fighting a monster before he blacked out. Dropping his hands, he doesn’t dare lift his eyes as he says his next words.

 

“Did he...?”

 

Victor doesn’t want to say it. The vivid memory of him coming back to camp only to see Yuuri pinned to the ground half naked is too much on its own.

 

“I don’t think so.” His friend dismally replies. “At least not from what I saw. His pants were down and his shirt pushed up, but I don’t think the fat bastard was able to get very far.”

 

A breath escapes the older man’s body as the small sense of relief calms a mere fraction of his nerves, but the assault still makes his stomach churn at the thought. Finally looking up to meet the look of concern etched in deep green eyes, Victor begins to feel the pricking of tears in the corners of his own.

 

“I was so scared, Chris.” He breathes out, the confession leaving his lips as a single tear slides down his cheek. “All the jealousy, sadness, disappointment, and anger from our talk earlier simply disappeared. I was just scared. No one should have to go through that... And even if it was different the first time in the basement, he’s been through way too much since he’s joined this group... Beaten, tortured, sexually assaulted... Even today I couldn’t even help him up before he yelled at me and used all of the strength he had left to get away... I just wanted to help... And yet when Phichit came over he immediately let himself fall into the other man like he was his saving grace... Like Phichit is a soothing balm that heals all the nasty burns I’ve given him.”

 

One of the good things about being friends for practically their whole lives is that Chris reads his words and tone like a dictionary, immediately pinpointing the underlying meaning and getting straight to the point.

 

“None of this is your fault though... you know that don’t you?”

 

Victor has to look away.

 

“But it is.” He sniffles. “I told him I would protect him. I never talked to him about what we were even when I had so many chances to ask. I built up this whole relationship inside of my head without even bothering to think about what he was feeling because I’m a selfish prick. I assumed that he knew he was gay and was offended when he didn’t choose me. I was an arrogant bastard who walked away. It’s because of me that he was alone, attacked, and almost raped. It’s because of me that all of this happened. It’s because of me that he’s scared.”

 

Tears are steadily flowing down his face now, and he brings the back of his hand up to ineffectively start wiping them away. The room is filled with silent sobs as the words sink into the air, but soon Chris’s deep voice cuts through the tense atmosphere once more.

 

“It’s not your fault Victor. It’s not like you asked for all of this to happen. If it’s anyone’s fault then it’s mine. I recruited him and that would make him my responsibility, but I knew you were head over heels from day one and you even told me as much on day two. I should’ve been more cautious now that we have more wizards in our group, and it should be a regular occurrence when we’re living on the road to set up a pair watch overnight, not just when there is an immediate threat.”

 

A few more sniffles interrupt the brief pause as Victor starts to regain some semblance of control over his emotions.

 

“Disregarding who’s to blame because that’s a never ending loop, the first thing I’m going to tell you is that you don’t have to worry about Phichit. I know for a fact that you’re just going to worry over it for nothing since you are absolutely, hopelessly in love with a cute, raven haired boy from Hasu. But Phichit and Yuuri are just really good friends and that’s it, and the same goes for everyone else in the group, including me. The second thing is stop worrying about the past and consult the other party. What’s done is done, and you lingering over all of the negatives isn’t going to help anyone move past these tragedies. With that being said, going forward, what are you going to do about all of this? You’re obviously feeling conflicted if you’re here talking to me about it and not him.”

 

“I don’t know...” Victor timidly replies. “Now that I know he only thought of us as friends I’m not really sure what to do, even if I take Phichit out of the equation. It’s like our time together was nice but he wasn’t thinking of it in a romantic way at the time, and now I don’t want to push him into something he’s still working out on his own... Not to mention everything became thoroughly fucked up after we left Karnic, and what happened outside was enough of an example to know that it’s obvious we can’t go back to the way things were...”

 

Taking a moment to breathe, a heavy sigh fills the gap in his speech before he continues.

 

“Whenever I see him I just think of all the ways I let him down, and when he burst into tears earlier it makes me believe that I should have nothing to do with him ever again... He deserves better than someone like me...”

 

Chris hums thoughtfully. “Again, not your fault. We don’t know what happened out there unless we ask. When we talked in the woods earlier, you were upset with me because you thought I was overstepping my boundary after what happened with the boss. You said I shouldn’t be so forward even though that’s how it has been since day one, and that I should give him space for the time being. I can understand that, but I trust Yuuri enough that I believe he would ask me to stop if I went too far, and I would never cross the line between verbal teasing and anything more without consent. I’m sure the same courtesy applies to you.”

 

The older man looks up at his friend as he pauses.

 

“Just take it slow. When I tease I don’t jump in head first unless we’re all on the same page, and I never escalate to touching unless I know the person pretty well. But given everything that happened, I’d start with something small just to test the waters and build on it from there. I mean, obviously he isn’t fond of physical contact at the moment, at least unexpected stuff, but you don’t need to hold hands just to talk to the boy. If he is uncomfortable with the conversation he will let you know if he needs some space, and I hate to bring this back into the spotlight, but you pulling me aside at the bridge because you wanted to tell me to back off is very immature. I know where I stand with Yuuri, but obviously you don’t if you’re going to go around and make these decisions for him Vic. He’s not a child, so show him some respect.”

 

“I didn’t mean it li-”

 

“Stop it right there Nikiforov.” Chris firmly states raising his hand. “Do you trust Yuuri?”

 

“Chris I-”

 

“Shut it. Do you trust him?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And do you think that he is capable of handling himself like an adult?”

 

Victor sighs. “Yes.”

 

“Good. Now I know you can get caught up in your own head Vic, not to mention you can be a completely irrational human being when you only rely on your emotions, but I don’t want to hear anymore about you making decisions for me, him, or anyone else in this god damn group, understood?”

 

“Yes, Chris...” He mumbles.

 

“Excellent. Now that that’s settled we can get back to the point. You obviously care about his wellbeing and that’s all fine and dandy, and the fact that you couldn’t stop yourself from making sure he didn’t fall when he was getting off the horse earlier is enough to show that you still care. So all you need to do is start with these baby steps. No matter what you’re still going to try to protect him, Victor... You still care enough to intervene for his sake, at least enough to ignore all the tension in order to be there for him. But for the love of god, I don’t understand how you plan to move forward if you’re not going to talk to him.”

 

“I can’t, Chris. He must hate me by now. And I –... I’m not sure how to act when I feel so guilty and yet I can’t keep myself from wanting to be with him...”

 

Sighing, the blonde leans back to brace himself on his outstretched arms, settling into a new position now that the hard part is over.

 

“It’s okay to have feelings for him Victor, even if they aren’t reciprocated. You just have to be respectful of his space and let him open up to you. Besides, we could all tell he had a particular interest in you before he put two and two together, so maybe you were the reason he was able to come out of the closet in the first place, at least to himself.”

 

Victor rolls his eyes as he watches a smug grin crawl onto his friends face.

 

“But for now, put a pin in the whole romantic side of things and focus on how he feels. How would you know he hates you if you haven’t talked to him?”

 

“Because I was a fucking idiot, that’s why.” He replies, throwing his hands up as if the answer is obvious.

 

“Wrong.”

 

Victor blinks and stares at the other man. “What? How can that be wrong?”

 

“Because you’re doing exactly what we agreed you would stop doing. You’re building up a relationship in your head without consulting the other half of the party.” The man pauses for a brief moment, allowing the advice to settle in. “Has he told you he hates you?”

 

“It’s kind of hard for him to tell me when he’s been ignoring me and avoiding me all day... He hasn’t talked to me once since we found each other in the woods,” before Chris can speak up he presses on, “and I don’t consider him stuttering my name when I found you two at the bridge a conversation, nor the screaming outside. The message is pretty clear...”

 

“But he hasn’t actually said that he hates you.”

 

“Well he has every right to.”

 

Chris groans, falling backwards onto his bed as his arms buckle beside him.

 

“So what? Are you just planning to mope from a distance and never talk to him again? Eternally conflicted since our mission could take several more years to complete if we even complete it at all? Cause that sounds like a pretty dick move if you ask me. Not to mention it might make him feel like an outcast since you two became so close, even if it was just as friends.”

 

Taking the time to slide back on the bed, Victor curls his legs up so that his knees are tucked against his chest and his back touches the wall.

 

“I guess... But I obviously can’t tell him everything. He’s been through so much and I would be an even bigger asshole if I bring up the whole gay attraction thing considering he’s only told Phichit as far as I know...”

 

“So then don’t.”

 

Victor’s face falls flat.

 

“I thought you just told me I should talk to him about all this.”

 

The blonde awkwardly shuffles up so that he is now propped up on his elbows and able to make eye contact as he speaks.

 

“Yes, but I never said you should confess everything that you told me right now.”

 

“So I just pretend like nothing happened until things settle down for a bit and we can have a proper conversation?”

 

Chris nods. “At least for now. Remember, baby steps. I think you jumped into a one sided relationship from the start and it skewed the balance of your emotions towards him. Like you said before, he’s been through a lot since he’s joined the group and I wouldn’t blame him for needing a little break. It’s times like these where you don’t need more pressure or unnecessary stress from those closest to you, and having your big gay crush trying to swoop in and save you and ask you how you feel about them when you’re still trying to figure it out on your own isn’t exactly a relaxing experience.”

 

Victor hums. “So stick to being a supportive friend and go from there?”

 

“I think that would be for the best. Just try not to let your feelings get in the way and don’t mention the whole homosexual agenda for a while. If the boy just realized he’s gay then he has to come to terms with it himself before he starts advertising it, but we know all about that, don’t we?”

 

A small quirk of his lip is the closest he’s been to smiling this whole time.

 

“Yeah... that took me a while but you were ever so subtle about your own experience.”

 

Chris simply laughs at the sarcastic response.

 

“What can I say, being fabulously flamboyant was just too much fun to hide from the public eye.”

 

Victor rolls his eyes.

 

“Our parents were so pleased when you announced you lost your virginity to a man at the dinner table.”

 

His best friend gasps. “Does that mean ‘So I just banged a dude’, was not an eloquent enough segue for a formal dinner? Maybe I should have waited until the year end gala...”

 

Victor finally lets out a snort.

 

“That would have been a sight to see, but we both know you couldn’t have held it in that long. The gay would have burst out of you sooner rather than later.”

 

“That wouldn’t be the only thing bursting.”

 

The added wink is so typically Chris that Victor can’t help but smile. The two of them have been together for so long it’s hard to think of a time when they didn’t know each other.

 

“Thank you, Chris... for talking to me. I know I’m a handful and I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting lately. There’s just been so much on my mind that I’ve been a little irritable.”

 

“It’s all in the past, Cherí. Now, would you like to accompany me downstairs for a quick meal before bed?”

 

The older man takes a deep breath to release the remaining tension in his body and nods.

 

“Yeah, I think that would be good.”


	40. Nightmares and Daydreams

_The sound of dripping water catches Yuuri’s attention. His skin feels cold and clammy, but as he moves his arms a spike of pain radiates from his shoulders up to his wrists._

_‘Oh.’_

_As his mind begins to supply information on the state of is body, he realizes that he is shackled to the roof by a length of chain that is wrapped around his wrists. The freezing air pricks at every inch of exposed skin, and unfortunately for him that includes the entirety of his naked form. Finally lifting his groggy head, he looks around the dark, dingy, room, and Yuuri immediately recognizes the space. The four stone walls are a cruel sight that he can barely see through the dim moonlight shining through the window, and in front of him awaits the heavy wooden door. Up on his tip toes, he can just barely see through the small section cut out of the upper half, with the minuscule bars barely impeding his view of the outer room._

_The fireplace that he knows all too well is providing just enough light to faintly illuminate a grossly familiar table in the centre of the large space, and in the blink of an eye, a body appears lying on top. The male figure is completely naked with the exception of a pair of boxers preserving their dignity, but Yuuri can’t see any other identifying features from his angle._

_As if providing feedback for his curiosity, the door in front of him simply swings open, with only a slight creak of the hinge echoing through the silence. Another few seconds allow him to blink and take in the new, unobstructed view, and as if gaining the magic of teleportation, the next moment he finds himself directly beside the table. Yuuri can feel the heat radiating from the fireplace across the room, but it is a welcome change to the icy breeze he was feeling only a few seconds before. His hands are still chained to the restraints above him, preventing him from moving in any capacity, but now he has a perfect line of sight to the only other person in the room._

_Toned muscles, long, slender limbs, a sharp jawline, and silky smooth hair whose colour rivals the moon itself. It’s Victor. Of course it’s Victor. The man is strapped to the exact same table that he spent hours on begging for mercy, eyes closed and body seemingly untouched. A drop of water splashes on Yuuri’s chest, drawing his attention down to his own body for a brief moment. The flickering light reveals several channels of blood streaming down his torso instead of the clear liquid he was expecting, and he simply knows that he never really made it out of this hell hole._

_A sadistic laugh echoes around the room, breaking the silence at the same time as it pierces Yuuri’s heart with gut wrenching dread. The horrible noise begins right beside his ear, but continues to shift around in the dark, bouncing around from place to place while the source remains invisible to the naked eye. Another breeze from behind makes him shiver, and he tightly closes his eyes trying to ignore the ghostly sensation creeping all over his body._

_“Hello, Yuuri.”_

_The deep voice appears right in front of him, and his first reaction is to snap his eyes wide open to assess the situation. His heart is already pounding straight out of his chest, but as soon as his eyes adjust to the dark silhouette, it feels as though he is suffering from cardiac arrest. The boss looks like an atrocity. The already grimy look he normally possesses is marred with cuts and bruises all over his face. Blood is dripping down from a grotesquely disfigured nose, but a split lip and a black eye as big as a steak pulls Yuuri’s attention all over until they finally make eye contact._

_“You deserve this.” The leader grumbles._

_That is the only warning he gets before the man takes a step back and begins to walk around to the other side of the table. As he moves, he reaches out, brushing his fingertips along Victor’s untainted skin with every step._

_“Don’t touch him!” Yuuri yells, surging forward the pitiful amount that the chains holding him back allow._

_His words fall on deaf ears as he watches the boss remain undeterred, producing a knife out of thin air. The horrid man rakes his eyes down Victor’s unconscious body, and Yuuri has no other choice but to watch what comes next. A few seconds pass, and the silver blade skimming over pale skin builds up a dreadful anticipation while it simultaneously brings back a familiar sting all over his own body. The sensation is apparently strong enough for bright blue eyes to open just as the tip pierces the soft skin of the man’s pectoral muscle, making Victor wince at the pain as Yuuri’s eyes begin to water._

_“Please! Don’t do this!”_

_“It’s okay.”_

_The soft tone of the boss’ voice is just as unnerving as his usual sadistic rumble, and Yuuri doesn’t know what he can do or what he can say to save the man strapped to the table._

_“This is all for you anyway.”_

_With no other warning, the boss drags the knife down Victor’s exposed body, pressing it deeper inside the further he goes. Victor screams out in pain, and a steady flow of blood begins to erupt from the wound and flow along the smooth curves of the man’s muscles until it begins to drip down onto the table._

_“Please stop!” Yuuri cries. “I’ll do anything! Please! Just hurt me instead!”_

_The leader laughs. “Oh but I am.”_

_Without any further acknowledgement, his cries fall upon deaf ears as the boss continues slicing up various parts of the other man’s body. Victor releases more anguished screams with every incision, and it doesn’t take long for beautiful blue eyes to disappear behind tightly shut skin. Tears are streaming down both men’s faces as the boss continues to work, and Yuuri feels almost compelled to watch._

_“Yuuri!”_

_Victor has started screaming out his name, as if his sobbing pleas will magically release him from the chains so that he can save him._

_“Yuuri, please!”_

_The desperate cries ringing in his ears feel like a vice slowly tightening around his heart, because as much as he wants to make all the pain go away, he can’t. The boss must be increasing the pressure of his knife, because Victor’s screams are becoming louder with every cut, and Yuuri can’t do anything other than watch, listen, and cry._

“Yuuri!”

_His name cuts through the screams at the same time as the blade cuts through the man’s flesh, making him sob even harder at his state of helplessness._

_“…please…” He whispers between hiccupped breaths. “…please stop… I’ll do anything…”_

“Yuuri, it’s okay.”

_The firm tone is different from Victor’s screams, and for a moment Yuuri almost listens to it, but he knows for a fact that it is not okay. Blood is covering every available surface and the boss is grinning as he stares straight at Yuuri with his red, dripping hands._

_“This is all for you.”_

_Not even a second later, the large man brings his blade straight down into Victor’s chest, and Yuuri can’t stop himself from letting out a bloodcurdling scream consisting only of Victor’s name._

 

“Yuuri!”

 

The scene makes him shoot forward, but this time there are no chains holding him back from flying towards the table. As he opens his eyes in order to help Victor, all he can see is the foot of a bed with nobody there.

 

“What…?” He whispers to himself, adrenaline pumping through his body.

 

_‘He was just here… Victor was just right here…’_

 

“Yuuri?”

 

A timid voice speaks up beside him, but the unexpected noise has him whipping his head around to assess his surroundings. Phichit is standing a couple of feet beside his bed, one foot in front of the other looking as if he wants to approach, but the scared look on his face and raised hands say otherwise.

 

“Peach?” He quietly replies, voice shaky, raspy, and oozing vulnerability. “Wha–”

 

His voice cuts off as a sob tumbles out of his lips. Tears quickly follow the heaving breaths as his mind attempts to fill in the information that separates his dreams from reality.

 

_‘Victor died.’_

 

It is only then that he realizes his erratic heart beat pounding in his chest and the death grip he has yet to release the bedsheets from. He can’t stop himself from crying but after a few seconds he feels arms wrap around his shoulders and pull him flush against Phichit’s torso. The man is softly shushing and cooing at him as he breaks his hold on the blanket only to latch onto his best friend, letting all of his tears soak into the man’s shirt. Phichit begins carding his fingers through his raven hair, and after a few minutes the harsh sobs begin to fade away.

 

“It’s okay… You’re okay…”

 

_‘I don’t deserve you…’_ Yuuri thinks.

 

A sudden knock interrupts the comforting moment and both men freeze. Yuuri doesn’t know how long he was asleep for, but judging by the lack of light shining through the window, it still has to be sometime during the dead of the night. Phichit slowly releases him and takes a step back to the centre of the room, carefully leaning over to grab his metal trinket from the top of the dresser and holding it out in front of him. In just a few seconds, Yuuri watches as a bright glow lights up the room before morphing shapes and fading to black. Phichit’s figurine has now turned into one of the swords Yuuri saw him using during the fight, and just as quietly as he stood up, the man begins walking toward the door as another knock vibrates through the wood.

 

“P!” Yuuri harshly whispers.

 

The man simply holds up a hand in response, commanding him to be silent as he continues to approach the door. Seeing no other option, Yuuri quietly stands, wiping away the excess tears from his eyes so that he can at least be ready for whoever is waiting for them on the other side. Phichit takes a few more carefully placed steps until he is able to grasp the metal handle of the door, and in one quick movement, he flips the lock and swings it open, quickly stepping back with his sword at the ready.

 

“Hey guys di– Phichit what the hell!?”

 

As soon as he hears Chris’ familiar voice Yuuri releases the breath he was holding in, and he can hear Phichit doing the same as he lowers his weapon.

 

“God damn it, Chris! You almost gave us a heart attack!” Phichit exclaims, placing his free hand over his chest.

 

“Well excuse me for coming to check up on you guys. Victor and I thought we heard some yelling so we decided to make sure everyone is alright.”

 

Chris finally glances past Phichit, only to see Yuuri moving to sit down on his bed and hang his head in his hands.

 

“Are you two alright?” He skeptically asks.

 

“Yeah, we’re fine.” The tanned man quickly replies.

 

Chris seems to mull over the answer for a few seconds before finally accepting it.

 

“Okay… Sorry for waking you.”

 

“That’s okay. Goodnight Chris.”

 

“Goodnight.”

 

Without wasting another second, Phichit closes the door in the man’s face, locks up, and heads straight back over to Yuuri, depositing his sword on the dresser before sitting down next to him.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Yuuri slides his hands down his face, rubbing his eyes before leaning forward and staring at the floor.

 

“Yeah… Chris just scared me a little.”

 

“I’m not talking about Chris.”

 

Silence follows his best friend’s statement, and he’s not entirely sure how to talk about what he saw earlier.

 

“Was it a bad dream?” Phichit asks.

 

Yuuri just nods, focusing on his hands clasped together in front of him rather than looking his friend in the eye.

 

“Did it have to do with Victor?”

 

His grip tightens, and after a few seconds he nods.

 

“Did you want to talk about it?”

 

Just the thought of retelling what his mind conjured up brings fresh tears to his eyes, and they are quickly followed by an adamant shaking of his head as he sniffles and moves to wipe away the wetness. Phichit quickly wraps an arm around his shoulders once more, pulling them together in an awkward side hug.

 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. But if you do want to talk I’ll be right here for you, okay?”

 

Yuuri just nods once more as he tries to get his emotions under control.

 

“Thanks, P…”

 

Another few minutes pass by with the pair not ready to move away from one another just yet, but Yuuri eventually straightens his back and takes a deep breath to clear his head.

 

“We should probably get back to sleep… Long day tomorrow and all.”

 

“Yeah…” Phichit mumbles. “Will you be alright?”

 

The older man tries his best to give a reassuring smile, but the tear tracks on his cheeks must tell a different story.

 

“I’ll be fine.” He sniffles.

 

His friend gives him a pointed look.

 

“Well that’s bullshit. You know you don’t have to go through this on your own.”

 

“P, it’s fine. Just go back to sleep, I’ll be okay.”

 

“We both know that’s not true Yuuri. I’m not gonna sit here and force you to say anything you don’t want to, but I do want to ask you one thing.”

 

The raven haired man sighs, rubbing his eyes in the process. “And what would that be?”

 

“Does this have anything to do with what happened outside earlier?”

 

It takes Yuuri a moment to catch on to what Phichit is referring to, but as soon as he does, he winces.

 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Phichit bluntly states. “Just know that I’m here whenever you need me, okay? Don’t keep this bottled up forever.”

 

The young man nods his understanding. He trusts Phichit, he really does, but there are some things that his messed up mind conjure up that no one needs to know about.

 

“Did you want to stay up for a little while?” The tan man offers.

 

“No, it’s okay, we both need the sleep.”

 

“You’re sure?” He asks once more, finally heading back over to his own bed.

 

“I’m sure.” Yuuri replies, shuffling back under the covers. “Goodnight, Peach.”

 

“Goodnight, Yuuri.”

 

With that, the room is plunged back into silence, and Yuuri isn’t sure if that is a good or bad thing as he stares up at the ceiling with tired eyes but an active mind. It doesn’t take long before he notices Phichit’s breathing even out into a deep, slow rhythm, but no matter how hard he tries, he cannot follow the man’s lead.

 

_‘Victor died.’_

 

It is impossible to ignore the vivid nightmare.

 

_‘Victor died and the boss said it was all for me… That I deserve this…’_

 

Minutes slowly begin to tick by, but no matter how still he remains, sleep never comes.

 

_‘Do I deserve that? Both physical and psychological torment? A twisted game of suffering and remorse that I have no control over?.’_

 

Yuuri tries not to return to sobbing, but a few tears slip out as he thinks back to Victor lying on the table.

 

_‘Even if I do deserve it, Victor should never have to go through any of that…’_

 

A never-ending cycle of thoughts rolls around in his head as he lies in bed, one question leading to another as he tries to tear apart the logic behind the dream.

 

_‘Is it an omen? A prediction? Karma? A sick joke courtesy of my own fucked up mind?’_

 

Attempting to hash out a vision that his subconscious provided is a lot more intensive and thought provoking than normal, and without even realizing it, hours start to pass by in the blink of an eye.

 

* * *

 

A rustling over to his left catches his attention, and he looks over to see Phichit stumbling out of bed and rubbing his eyes.

 

“Phichit? What are you doing up?”

 

His friend just looks at him with the utmost confusion before he responds.

 

“Um… It’s morning? We have to get ready to leave?”

 

Now it is Yuuri’s turn to look confused, blinking for a moment before he realizes that the room is much brighter than before.

 

“Did you even sleep?”

 

The older man is not sure how to answer the question. His best friend can read him like a book so there is no point in lying, but admitting that he got zero sleep after having a terrible nightmare doesn’t seem like a good idea considering how exhausted he was yesterday.

 

“I tried my best.” He blurts out before the pause becomes too long.

 

Phichit eyes him for a moment before turning to grab his bag.

 

“Well you better start getting ready, now that there’s snow on the ground we gotta get a move on before it gets worse.”

 

A wave of relief that no other questions are asked is a fleeting sensation, because as soon as he plants his feet on the floor he can feel his body protesting the use of energy. He fumbles to grab his boots without even bothering to get up from the bed and efficiently slips them on while Phichit is already packing his bag. Once his laces are tied, he lets out a groan as he pushes himself up, wobbling slightly at the tender muscles that are still aching from the ride but quickly regaining his balance. Next, Yuuri grabs his jacket and pulls out his coin pouch from his bag for later, and without any other personal belongings laying around, he is all ready to go. Phichit seems to finish his morning routine around the same time, so they both take one last look in each corner of the room before heading back downstairs.

 

Hobbling down the stairs is much easier than battling his way up, and so within a minute they are greeted by the same old man that checked them in last night. Phichit dutifully returns the room key and Yuuri quickly asks if they have a store that he could purchase some winter attire from. Thankfully the man informs him that their clothing is sold in a room across from the dining hall, and he is grateful he doesn’t even need to go outside to get there. As soon as the duo begins to walk down the south hall, Phichit starts to chuckle quietly to himself.

 

“What’s so funny?” Yuuri can’t help but ask.

 

“Oh nothing. I’m just amused that you didn’t even think to bring standard winter attire when we literally left Hasu only a month ago.”

 

“Hey! It was a lot warmer a month ago thank you very much. Besides, it’s nothing so important that I can’t buy it elsewhere.”

 

Phichit smiles at his defence. “Now, now, don’t get your panties in a twist.”

 

A flush fills Yuuri’s cheeks as they reach the entrance to the store.

 

“I do not wear panties!” He exclaims, turning to look at his friend to get his point across.

 

Phichit however, has a hand slapped across his face as he attempts not to burst from laughter. Before confusion at his friend’s amusement can even cross Yuuri’s mind, he glances over to see Victor and Chris standing in the doorway to the breakfast hall. Looking back to Phichit, he does a double take when he realizes that the two men must have overheard their conversation as they walked over and Yuuri instantly becomes mortified. Chris is wearing a sly smirk as he tilts his head and cocks an eyebrow, but Victor is frozen in place with his mouth slightly ajar and an adorable light pink blush dusting his cheeks.

 

Panicking, the only thing Yuuri can think to do is turn around and walk straight into the store, focusing on the jingling of small bells as he pushes in the door and ignores the raucous laughter now filling the hallway.

 

_‘Why does this always happen to me…’_

 

Rubbing his hands over his eyes, Yuuri tries to chase away the fatigue that is already settling in, but he finds the embarrassment quickly fading away since just the sight of Victor put some of his leftover, irrational fears to rest. Looking around, he finds himself in a quaint little room with shelves, tables, and racks, all displaying what looks to be various pieces of clothing on one half of the store and an assortment of standard home and hardware materials on the other. Against the wall to his left, there is a counter with a friendly, young, female cashier smiling straight at him, and he gives a small smile back before turning to browse their selection.

 

Shirts, pants, socks, jackets, gloves, hats, scarves, boots, sweaters, and underwear are all up for sale in the small store. Yuuri takes his time perusing the different choices, selecting a few items and weighing his options, but overall he finds the experience a good distraction from his headspace earlier that morning. While examining the quality of a pair of socks, he hears the jingle of the door behind him, and he dreads the moment Phichit walks up to him still laughing about his most recent public spectacle. Trying to stay one step ahead, he begins asking a question to steer the conversation in a different direction.

 

“Do you think I should just invest in a whole new winter wardrobe? All the clothes seem to be great quality here.”

 

He hears the footsteps come up behind him as he continues to check the fabric for any tears, patiently waiting for a hopefully normal answer.

 

“I think that’s an excellent idea!”

 

Yuuri stills.

 

_‘God fucking damn it…’_

 

He slowly turns around, clasping the fluffy pair of socks he is holding tightly to his chest. Victor is giving him a warm smile, blue eyes shimmering like a snow storm in the middle of summer. He looks completely different from the man who tried to help him stand up last night only to get yelled at, but thankfully not in a bad way. His posture is straight and attentive, voice happy and carefree, and Yuuri can’t help but think that he is acting more like the Victor who took care of him after the basement fiasco.

 

“Y-you think so?” He stutters out.

 

He takes a second to mentally berate himself for being so unprepared for another close encounter, which in their small group was bound to happen sooner rather than later. However, he thought they were on the same playing field last night, both fed up and trying to avoid each other once he figured out that they both hate Yuuri for causing so much trouble. The return to a sunny disposition seems wrong after he accepted his fate, but at the same time he’s dreading the arrival of a cold dismissal that could sweep back in at any second.

 

“I don’t see why not.” Victor responds, giving another sweet smile.

 

Yuuri practically melts at the innocent, heartwarming look that is being directed at him, but he has no clue why he is receiving the most perfect form of torture when he doesn’t even deserve to speak to the man. As if a switch flips in the older man’s brain, the happy look on his face suddenly transitions to something more bashful and unsure.

 

“If you want, I could help you shop around? O-only if you want! Otherwise I can just let you do your thing and I’ll go find Chris or something.”

 

Yuuri is mildly confused at the man’s behaviour, but before he can even think, his mind supplies him with a gruesome image of Victor being killed right before his eyes, once in a forest and once on a table. His stomach turns at the sickening thoughts, and he tries his best to keep his composure but finds himself needing to look away from the bright blue eyes that are keeping him rooted in place. The promise that he made to himself back in Mila’s tent wiggles in the back of his mind, reminding him that he intends to stay out of Victor’s life for both of their sakes and forcing him to make a choice. Mentally sighing, he clenches the socks in his hands and turns back to the shelf, shutting his eyes and keeping his emotions at bay.

 

“That’s okay. Thank you for the offer but I think I can manage just fine on my own.”

 

Another little piece of his heart crumbles. His words are so monotone and insincere he can’t even say them to the man’s face, fearing that if he was able to see their effect his resolve might falter. He wants Victor to stay more than anything, if not for his company than just to reassure his illogical mind that the older man is safe, but he is also aiming to maintain a respectable distance from him so that he doesn’t get even more attached, since that would just make this whole situation more difficult.

 

"That's okay!" The man brightly replies. “If you need any help just let me know!”

 

With that, Victor simply takes his leave, no questions asked. Yuuri finds himself concentrating on the chiming of bells as the door to the shop opens and closes, attempting to will away the strangled feeling in his chest.

 

_‘Why are you being so kind to me? Can’t we just agree that I shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near you?’_

 

It was definitely easier when the older man acted like he wanted nothing to do with him. Letting out a full bodied sigh, Yuuri goes back to shopping for some new winter attire, determined to think about anything other than the beautiful man whom he doesn’t deserve.


	41. Winter is Coming

Everything is warm and fuzzy.

 

“…Yuuri?”

 

_‘Ugh…’_

 

“Yuuri?”

 

_‘Five more minutes…’_

 

“Yuuri!”

 

The loud shout beside him makes him jump and shoot upright, rapidly looking around for some sort of imminent danger as his mind urges him to reply to whoever called out his name.

 

“What!? What’s wrong?”

 

Phichit’s face is the first thing he recognizes, and the man is sitting across the table from him with a small smirk but also a furrowed brow.

 

“If you can’t stay awake your face is gonna end up in your breakfast.”

 

Taking a moment to register his friend’s words, he looks down to see the half-finished bowl of porridge sitting in front of him. He must have fallen asleep at some point when they were eating, but sitting right next to the fireplace feels so nice and warm that it didn’t help with keeping him awake. Looking around, he notices that they are alone, and he is just barely beginning to recall finding the tan man after he finished buying his new clothes. He knows that they came into the dining hall to have something to eat before heading out, but after grabbing their food and sitting down, Yuuri doesn’t remember much after that.

 

“Are you going to be okay when we leave? You can’t ride alone if you’re going to be falling off your horse every five minutes.”

 

Yuuri almost forgot that they have another long day of travel ahead of them, and as he shifts in his seat he can still feel the painful reminder of their lengthy journey yesterday.

 

“I’ll be fine.” He replies, fairly sure of himself. “The cold will help wake me up and I’ll have Chris to keep me company.”

 

Phichit gives him a skeptical look but then lets out a sigh.

 

“Fine.” He says, proceeding to point a finger straight at him. “But you better eat the rest of your breakfast because I know for a fact that you haven’t eaten anything in almost two days.”

 

Yuuri is shocked.

 

“What ar–”

 

“Oh I know you are not about to argue me on this one Katsuki.”

 

He immediately shuts his mouth and any rebuttal dies on the tip of his tongue. He may be reluctant to admit it, but Phichit really does know everything, and so instead of even bothering with a reply, Yuuri picks up his spoon and begins to eat. His best friend grins and leans back in his seat, crossing his arms as he smugly watches him finish off his porridge.

 

“That’s more like it.”

 

The raven haired man sticks out his tongue before he continues to chow down, and it only takes a few minutes for the bowl to be completely empty and pushed away.

 

“There. Happy?”

 

Yuuri can’t help but be a little bit snarky after being treated like a child by his peer.

 

“For now.” The man casually replies.

 

He can barely refrain from rolling his eyes as he proceeds to stand and grab his bag, and without needing to say a word, his best friend follows his lead. The duo makes their way back to the lobby before bundling up and heading outside, and Yuuri’s first thought is about how he is very glad that he chose to purchase some good quality winter accessories. Reaching into his fancy new jacket, he pulls out a dark, knitted hat and some black, leather gloves, both of which he immediately puts to good use. Even with the extra protection he can tell that the air feels much colder than last night, and a small breeze creeping through the clearing stings his cheeks as they continue to walk.

 

Thankfully no more snow is being added to the blanket covering the ground, and this early in the morning the terrain looks almost untouched with the exception of a narrow trail of footprints heading straight to where they need to go. Following the makeshift path, it only takes a minute before they enter the barn, which is where they find all of the other members of the group stowing their bags and tacking up the horses. As the pair walks further into the fray to store their backpacks in one of the carts, a loud wolf whistle catches Yuuri’s attention.

 

“My, my, my. You, chéri, are looking fabulous in your new get-up.”

 

Chris’ voice practically comes out of nowhere as the man appears in front of him, lightly grabbing his wrists and holding out his arms. Yuuri watches as the man sweeps his sharp green eyes up and down his entire body, and he can’t help but flush at the attention.

 

“Winter chic, if I do say so myself.”

 

Glancing down in order to follow Chris’ intense gaze, he attempts to identify what is so special about his new look. From the awkward angle, all he can see is the wool lining peaking out from the top of the dark brown, leather jacket, and from what he remembers in the store, he knows it looked okay in the mirror.

 

“It’s really nothing fancy...” Yuuri mumbles.

 

“Nonsense!” Chris exclaims, lifting an arm to spin Yuuri around. “For a winter jacket it hugs your body marvellously! I’m almost jealous!”

 

“U-um, thanks?” He says, merely following along with the man’s antics.

 

“And your toque is absolutely adorable! Most traders only sell the bulky fur caps these days but the knitted look really suits you! Not to mention that the dark blue dye accents your glasses perfectly!”

 

Yuuri is lucky that the wind outside caused the blood to rush to his exposed cheeks on the walk over, because the onslaught of compliments is almost overwhelming. He starts looking around to avoid the intense scrutiny of the older man, but he ends up making eye contact with a certain silver haired bachelor instead, who just so happens to be shamelessly staring right back. Victor is seemingly frozen in place as they both refuse to look away, and the few seconds of eye contact starts to feel more like hours of endless conversation. Yuuri knows that he must have been watching the ridiculous scene with Chris unfold anyway, considering that the man is loud enough to be a one man show in the middle of a busy market, and the older man gives him a sympathetic smile as if he understands what it is like enduring the onslaught of Christophe. The blonde man’s voice suddenly cuts through his world of silence once again, as he continues on from exactly where he left off.

 

“And to top it all off, those dark colours do wonders to bring out those beautiful, liquid cinnamon eyes.”

 

“Slow down there buddy, time to reel in your inner flirt.” Phichit interjects, placing a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder and drawing his attention back to the two men standing in front of him. “You’re gonna make him have a heart attack before we even leave town.”

 

Yuuri makes a mental note to thank Phichit later, because he had no clue how to remove himself from being the center of attention. Taking a second to glance back over to where the captain of their small group was just standing, he feels an unexpected rush of disappointment when he sees the man has disappeared and is no longer waiting and watching nearby.

 

Chris gasps. “I would do no such thing! I’m only admiring him from afar!” The man pauses for a moment, letting his familiar cocky grin slip into place he continues. “If I really wanted to give him a heart attack, I have a much better tactic in mind that involves at least two people, some specially shaped blown glass, and a bottle of–”

 

“Okay!” Victor’s voice is suddenly booming right next to the trio. “I think that’s enough chit chat for today don’t you think?”

 

Yuuri feels cool relief wash over his burning cheeks as soon as Chris is interrupted. He doesn’t even want to imagine where that sentence was going to go and he has no urge to find out.

 

 _‘At least not with Chris…’_ His mind quickly supplies.

 

Another wave of heat rushes through his body, and he has to force himself to look down at the floor before his eyes find their way back to the tall, blue eyed man moving to stand next to Chris.

 

“What’s wrong Vic? Don’t you want to join in on our little conversation?”

 

“As much as I would like to, you know that is not part of our _agenda_.”

 

Victor says the last word with so much emphasis that Yuuri can’t help but look back and forth between the two men, trying his best to pick up on whatever is being left unsaid. Meanwhile, the two friends are busy staring at each other, Chris with a mildly confused look plastered on his face and Victor with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. Suddenly, as if realization slaps him across the face, Chris seems to catch on to whatever the other man is referring to.

 

“Ah yes! The agenda!” Chris exclaims, turning back to Phichit and Yuuri before continuing. “My apologies gentlemen, we need to get back on schedule if we plan to leave in the next few minutes, so I must leave to conduct the final checks with everyone else in the group. I’ll see you up front Yuuri!”

 

With no other warning, the man turns and walks away, leaving two friends to settle in a pool of confusion as they watch Victor finally relax and let out a deep breath as he cards his fingers back through his fringe. Yuuri knows something is up, because ever since the bridge yesterday both men have been acting like their emotions have been thrown into a tornado.

 

“Um, is everything okay?” Phichit asks.

 

Victor seems to tense back up at the question and he quickly turns to face them, awkwardly chuckling as he tries to brush off their concern.

 

“Yeah, everything is fine!”

 

The smile the older man proceeds to give them is as fake as a peg leg, and one glimpse over to Phichit confirms that the tan man looks just as unconvinced as Yuuri feels. Once again he finds the need to remind himself that that he has to stay out of it, and so he readjusts the bag hanging off his shoulder and focuses his attention on the young man beside him.

 

“I’m going to go pack my stuff. You coming, P?”

 

Phichit gives one last questioning look at Victor who is still smiling like an idiot before turning back to Yuuri.

 

“Yeah… Let’s go. See you in a little bit, Victor.”

 

Without another word, the pair begins to walk away, and as they finally reach the back of one of the wagons, Yuuri can’t help but throw one last confused glance over his shoulder as he hands Phichit his bag. Victor is still standing in the middle of the barn right where they left him, except now Chris has returned to his side and has a hand placed on the older man’s shoulder, as if he was providing some sort of support. The cheery smile, however fake, that was previously gracing his features has vanished, and a small frown accompanied by hunched shoulders takes its place.

 

Yuuri shouldn’t care so much when he’s trying to distance himself, but it’s hard to keep the urge to be close to the other man under control. He didn’t even say a word to Victor when the man spontaneously appeared out of the blue to interrupt Chris, because he knows that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from becoming even more invested than he is now. As if he isn’t in over his head already. At least a short look across the room is better than a lengthy conversation, but now he has to sit and pretend everything is perfectly fine when it is so obviously not.

 

Phichit jumping down from the top of the cart snaps him out of his reverie, and he gives a smile and his thanks to his friend before the two both head to their respective horses. All of the group members seem to be packed and ready to head out, and as Yuuri reaches his spot up front, he is thankful to find his horse already tacked up and waiting for his arrival. A rush of pride fills his body as it only takes him one try to mount his horse, but now that he is sitting down once again, he finds himself letting out a deep breath as the tendrils of sleep creep back into his eyes.

 

_‘This is going to be a long day…’_

 

A sudden burst of yelling echoes around the barn, loud enough to be heard by the whole group but only clear enough to make out a few colourful insults. Looking behind him, Yuuri spots Chris sauntering over like a man that just won the lottery, and he can’t help but smile a little at the sheer predictability of the two blondes.

 

“Calling Yuri a cute little kitten again?”

 

Chris’ grin manages to become even smugger as he approaches his own horse.

 

“Kitten, fairy, they’re practically the same thing, right?”

 

Yuuri lets out a light chuckle.

 

“Almost, but either way you better learn to play nice. You don’t want to end up on the wrong end of a certain weapon the fairy keeps on him.”

 

The older man grimaces as he climbs on top of his own steed.

 

“Duly noted. Are you all set?”

 

“I should be. What’s the plan?”

 

“Well this road continues a little farther north before it meets up with the ocean, and at that point we simply start following the coastline to the east. There might be one or two settlements that are scattered along the way, but from here on out we’ll be living on the road until we reach Luften.”

 

Yuuri nods as he takes in the information.

 

“How long do you think it will take?”

 

“I’m hoping we’ll be able to make the trip in five more days, but we have to make our way through some mountains about half way through, and I’m worried that if it continues to snow we might be in a bit of a pickle.”

 

“We’re crossing a mountain range?” Yuuri asks, surprised at the path they’ve chosen to take when they are on the verge of winter.

 

Chris takes a second to look over at Yuuri, but his concern must be clearly written on his face because the older man gives him a sympathetic look before continuing his explanation.

 

“Technically yes but it’s really not that bad. There is a pair of mountains that the road will pass in between called the Twin Peaks. There is a little elevation gain and the road gets kind of rocky, but the route itself is more or less the path of least resistance. I would say that it’s nothing to worry about but I’m not going to lie to you. The best case scenario is that we go through and make it to Luften right on schedule, and the second best would be that it just takes us an extra few days to get through the mountains because of the snow.”

 

“And the worst case?”

 

Chris sighs. “Our biggest concern is the fact that the more snow there is piling up as we go, the more likely it will be for an avalanche to come crashing down from either direction when we’re crossing the canyon.”

 

Yuuri should have been prepared for the reality of the situation, but hearing the words coming from a seasoned traveler makes the situation seem all too likely. So far their time on the road has been a walk in the park since they still had the slow transition of fall to ease their travels, but now there is a lot more at stake than making their way across the open prairies. Taking a deep breath in, he puts all of his faith into the man sitting beside him. Chris and Victor must have had a lengthy discussion about their options previously, and if there is anyone that he trusts his life to, they are at the top of the list. Leaning back into his saddle, Yuuri picks up the reins and straightens his posture, boring his mahogany eyes straight into emerald green.

 

“Well then, we better get moving.”


	42. Count Your Blessings

“You’ve gotta be joking.”

 

“Cross my heart and hope to die.” Chris replies.

 

Yuuri's smile grows ten times bigger at the admission.

 

“So you actually broke into Victor’s house in the middle of the night just so that you could put his father’s fancy wig on the dog? Seriously!?”

 

“Oh chéri, when am I ever not serious?”

 

Yuuri can’t help himself as he bursts out laughing on top of his horse. The imagery of a chocolate brown poodle running around a pristine mansion with a white, poof-y, peruke strapped to its head as it is being chased around by servants is simply too ridiculous.

 

“Did you get caught?” He manages to ask as the last of his giggles die out.

 

Chris simply smirks. “In the end Victor knew it was me, but his parents just blamed it on the dog being overly curious and bored in the wee hours of the morning. But I swear to the gods that I acted on my own accord. Vic didn’t even know until he was woken up by Makka jumping on his chest, and then she proceeded to run away like they were playing a game which of course alerted the entire household of the incident.”

 

Yuuri huffs out another laugh as they continue to ride along. It has already been five hours since they left Styber, and what he thought was going to be another long, boring, and painful ride has turned into a near constant conversation between the blonde and himself. The exhaustion from his recent pathetic attempts at sleep has moved to the back of his mind as he keeps himself occupied with the witty banter and humorous stories as they make their way through the forest.

 

So far he has learned a lot about the older man in the last several hours, and he has to admit that Chris is one of the people he feels closest to in the whole group, but their conversations have also somehow led to him learning a bit more about Victor as well. Before he can think too much about the silver haired man, a low whistle brings his attention back to the blonde currently riding beside him. Chris’ eyes are glued straight forward towards the path that still lies ahead, and Yuuri doesn’t even need to ask as he follows the man’s gaze and lets out a small gasp.

 

The road that was previously lined by what appeared to be a never-ending assortment of pine trees has finally come to a conclusion. As if restricted by a physical boundary, the dense coniferous forest suddenly runs out, gracing the members of the group with a new breathtaking view. As they exit the forest, the constant trickle of wind that flowed through the trees now moves unhindered, rushing past the group so quickly that it is the only thing Yuuri can hear, but he is too busy admiring the view that he barely notices his newfound deafness.

 

He takes a long moment to let his new surroundings work their own special type of magic, sporadically moving his eyes in order to let the view completely sink in. The dull glow of a sun still hidden behind clouds seems significantly brighter now that they are out in the open, and it shines just enough to illuminate the area without being overly blinding. The reflection of the available light gives off a faint sparkle on the river that they had been following all day, and Yuuri watches as the water continues to run straight into a vast expanse of open ocean. The stark contrast between the deep blue waters and the pale white snow is almost too odd to comprehend, and if it wasn’t for the constant motion of the tide it could almost be mistaken for a painting. Similarly to the stream entering it, the sea shimmers with every wave that makes its way toward land, except something about the sheer size of the body of water and the waves rolling onto the shore takes Yuuri’s breath away.

 

The group quickly makes their way down a small hill before coming to a stop just before the road does a ninety degree turn to the east. Now that they are closer to the shoreline, it is easier to see that the long stretch of beach in front of them runs for miles, and to the west, a rocky bank follows the road back down south as it creates a buffer between the path and the northern branch of the Turid River.

 

“We’ll have our lunch break here.” Chris practically yells over the ambient noise of the gale. “Nothing fancy, just a quick meal from the cans and we’ll be on our way.”

 

Yuuri nods to himself as he carefully disembarks from his horse, taking extra care not to stumble or fall like the last couple times. As soon as his feet are securely on solid ground, he shifts his weight back and forth in order to regain some sort of feeling before he makes his way over to the middle carriage to grab some food, because gods know Phichit will call him out again if he doesn’t eat anything. A quick glance down the line shows Victor and Chris already busy talking at the last wagon, and a small shred of relief calms his heart at the thought of avoiding the captain for a little bit longer.

 

Georgi is helpfully passing out some canned food from the back of what has now become Yuri and Otabek’s cart, but as he looks around the familiar faces grabbing a bite to eat, he does not come across the fiery blonde or the young doctor.

 

“Where’s Yuri and Otabek?” He asks Georgi as he gratefully accepts his ration along with a spoon.

 

“I think they had another argument.” The man quickly replies. “Before the group could even stop for the break Yurio jumped off and started walking towards the rocks by the river. As for Otabek I’m sure he followed to at least keep an eye on him.”

 

Yuuri hums as he opens up his container, shovelling a nice, big spoonful of cold, pre-baked beans into his mouth as he glances around the area. 

 

“Okay, thanks Georgi.”

 

Without overthinking it, the young man turns and heads towards the river. Scanning the area, he immediately spots the group’s new medic leaning against a lone pine tree at the edge of the plateau overlooking the waterfront, and as he finally reaches the group of boulders leading down to the river, he spies a familiar mop of blonde hair hunched over on a rock close to the water. The young teen has brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around himself, most likely attempting to shelter himself from the strong wind rushing around the open area, but Yuuri can’t help but think that this could also be one of Yuri’s scarce moments of vulnerability. Carefully, the young man maneuvers his way down the moderately sketchy terrain, and soon he finds himself one rock away from the solitary young man.

 

“Mind if I join you?” He asks.

 

The only response he receives is a slight shuffle so that the blonde makes some room on his chosen seat, and Yuuri takes that as his cue to sit down. The situation is similar to the last time the two talked in Karnic, but this time the teen seems slightly more accepting of his intrusion. However, as the seconds pass by with nothing being said, only the small trickle of water and distant lapping of waves fills the void, while the awkward silence between the two of them seems to drag on for a bit too long. It isn’t until he remembers the can and spoon in his hand that he weakly attempts to open up the conversation.

 

“Did you want some beans? I know it’s not much but it makes for a good lunch.”

 

The blonde hesitates for barely a moment before he grabs the offered food and begins to collect a hefty spoonful that is quickly popped into his mouth. Yuuri’s lip quirks into a small smile but he soon finds himself looking back out across the river and towards the opposite bank, not wanting to make the situation uncomfortable. The other side of the channel is not raised on a hillside like they are currently sitting on, but rather it remains close to sea level and provides an unimpeded view of the lengthy western coastline. As he peers down the beach however, he spots a small group of people crowding around something on the shore in the distance, and he is momentarily taken aback to see other people besides themselves so far away from civilization. Casting a quick glance back at Yuri, he finds the boy munching away on the beans with his eyes fixated on the exact same spectacle that he was just observing, and so he quietly turns back to watch what the strange people do next.

 

After a few minutes of both men watching the seemingly random shuffle of people around what looks to be a small boat, the group then starts pushing the vessel out to sea. The receding tide effortlessly carries the canoe further out into the open water, but Yuuri is mildly confused when he notices that there is no one piloting the craft and the people are seemingly content watching it float away from the shore. Not even a minute later, one of the strangers steps forward with a bow in their hand and readies an arrow, while another produces a torch that is promptly lit by a third member. Mesmerized, the two men still sitting on the rock watch as the fire is transferred quickly onto the arrow and the flaming projectile is then shot across the open water before landing directly in the boat. As soon as the arrow hits its mark, the entire structure goes up in flames, and Yuuri can’t tear his eyes away from the bizarre ritual as the burning embers continue to rise above the waves.

 

“It’s a funeral.”

 

Yuri’s sudden remark catches him off guard, and he looks over at the man beside him but sees the blonde is still staring out at the sea. Thankfully, it doesn’t take long for him to clue in, and he turns his attention forward once more.

 

“How do you know?”

 

“I’ve seen a few of them back in Karnic. The big lake right next to town suited most people’s needs, but those who wanted to keep to tradition made the journey to the ocean.”

 

Yuuri hums at the new information. He can tell that the young man is obviously omitting some details by keeping his answer short and oddly open ended, but it is a sensitive topic to broach and he doesn’t want to push his luck.

 

“Aren’t you going to ask?”

 

Yuri seems to be reading his mind.

 

“I don’t want you to tell me anything you don’t want to say.”

 

This time it is the blonde’s turn to hum at his response, and after a long moment of silence, Yuuri tries a different topic.

 

“What’s up with your body guard?”

 

The young man scoffs.

 

“Beka doesn’t want to leave me alone when I’m angry. He’s afraid I’m going to do something stupid or reckless.”

 

“Have you done something in the past that makes him think that way?”

 

Yuri takes a moment to answer, shuffling in his spot so that his legs are pulled impossibly closer.

 

“He thinks I’m here for the wrong reasons…”

 

Finally reaching the serious discussion, Yuuri can’t help be feel mildly proud at being someone Yuri can talk to, but he quickly shoves away his own selfish feelings in order to focus on the young blonde.

 

“And why are you here?” He asks.

 

Yuri remains quiet for another minute, aimlessly stirring around the remaining beans in the can, intent on focusing on anything other than their conversation.

 

“When did you figure it out?” Yuri mumbles.

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

A deep sigh escapes the blonde’s lips.

 

“When did you figure out that… You know… That you were like your mom and your sister?”

 

“Oh.” Yuuri blinks. “Um… I think it was when I was three… maybe four?”

 

“And as far as you know your sister was the same?”

 

“Yeah. Why?”

 

Yuri sighs once again. “Well… that just never happened for me…”

 

_‘Wait. Did he just…?’_

 

“Yuri,” he cautiously begins, “were your parents…?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

Yuuri can barely contain the slight gasp that escapes his lips. Thankfully, the strong winds seem to carry away the small sound before Yuri can acknowledge the noise, and the raven haired man does his best to focus on the blaze still rising off of the distant boat.

 

“And you…?” He can’t help but ask.

 

The young man doesn’t respond, and as Yuuri gives in to his instinct and turns to face him, he finds that the normally piercing green eyes are hidden behind tightly closed lids. Yuri’s arms are squeezing his legs with enough strength to clearly define the teen’s muscles, and his strong fingers are practically crushing the can in front of him.

 

Yuuri has never heard of a magical couple producing a non-magical child, regardless of whether or not it was one or both parents that possessed magical abilities in the first place. As far as he knows, the oddity was not one his mother was familiar with, and that is why he was never told of the possibility, but judging by the young blonde’s reaction, Yuri doesn’t consider it normal either.

 

“I’m sorry.” He weakly offers.

 

In all honesty, Yuuri can’t imagine his life if he was born without magic. The feeling must be something similar to an itch you can’t scratch or a restless tingle that won’t go away no matter how much you move, and yet that must be a minuscule comparison to how the blonde actually feels.

 

“It’s fine.” Yuri says, taking a deep breath in to calm down. “I’m over it.”

 

_‘Clearly…’_ Yuuri can’t help but sarcastically think.

 

“Anyway… When I was about ten, I did something stupid. I got into a fight at school with another kid who was bad mouthing magic, but he pushed me so far that when I tried to stand up for it I ended up outing my parents to the whole class… The next thing I knew the military was breaking down our door and taking both my mother and father into custody… I was lucky enough to have my grandfather there and he hid me before the guards could find me… After that I never saw my parents again, and a year later my grandpa suggested we give them a proper send off.”

 

The silence that follows the young man’s words is suffocating, and Yuuri can’t help but look over at his friend as a new world of emotions and understanding fills his body.

 

“Yuri I’m so–”

 

‘Don’t.” The teen bites out, causing Yuuri to snap his mouth shut. “I fucked up... I was young and stupid, and I fucked up. I don’t need your pity. I know it was all my fault.”

 

It is easy to feel the familiar blockade slowly growing around the young man, and so Yuuri stays silent hoping to let Yuri make his own choice on how to continue.

 

“You asked me if I was here for the right reasons…” The blonde continues, voice firmer than before. “I’m here so that I can find out what happened to my parents… Maybe even prevent what happened to them from happening to someone else. And if they aren’t dead, and I do find them, then I can at least apologize before letting them get on with their lives. When I made the deal with Victor I figured you guys could get me out of town and I could start looking into what happened, but it turned out we were both looking for the same thing all along. That’s why I’m here, and the last I checked it’s pretty damn good reason.”

 

“I never said it wasn’t.”

 

The teen’s tone holds an air of finality to it and so Yuuri doesn’t dare say anything else just in case he accidentally pushes too far. The seconds slowly continue to tick by, and with nothing more to say, he finds himself sitting in silence, next to an aggressive and misunderstood young man, staring out at a canoe that is slowly sinking into the waves.

 

With the wind still rushing past them and the ocean waves lapping against the shore, Yuuri gradually begins to relax as the tense conversation seems to be over. Taking a deep breath in, he can feel the annoying pull of exhaustion reaching for him once again, and unfortunately the salt in the breeze and the chill of the air is doing nothing to help keep it at bay.

 

“You look like shit by the way.”

 

The sudden comment makes Yuuri’s shoulders droop even further.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah. And whatever the hell is going on between you and captain geriatric, you both better get your shit together sooner rather than later.”

 

Yuuri stiffens. “What do you-”

 

“Oh shut up. Everyone knows you two are fighting. And as much as I hate how annoying the bastard can be when he’s all happy and shit, he’s ten times worse when he’s just moping around all the time like someone just kicked a puppy.” Yuri states, before finally making eye contact for the first time during their entire conversation. “And I know that you’ve been through some pretty fucked up stuff lately, but now’s not the time for getting stuck in your head, Katsudon. Life on the road is like life in the streets, the bullshit comes and goes on the daily but you have no other choice than to just learn from the past and move on. Otherwise you’re just better off dead.”

 

Before Yuuri can even think of how to respond to such a pointed piece of advise, Otabek’s voice cuts through all of the white noise informing them that their break time is up. Yuri lithely jumps up onto his feet and starts gracefully maneuvering himself up the small cliff-side, and reluctantly, Yuuri finds himself following the young man in a much less enthusiastic manner.

 

Even though his mind is still focused on Yuri’s last few words, as he reaches the top of the hill, he is practically out of breath and finds himself praying for another short moment to lay down on the ground before he collapses, perfectly willing to surrender himself to the tempting pull of gravity that is currently a force to be reckoned with. However, it unfortunately looks like the rest of the group has already packed up and mounted their rides while they were talking, and Yuuri can’t help but stifle a groan as he shuffles back towards his spot at the front of the group.

 

“Ready to go, sunshine?” Chris happily chirps on top of his steed.

 

Yuuri barely manages to mumble out a response before he is clambering back on top of his own horse. Despite his eagerness to reach the next town, he can’t help but dread the next several hours on the road.

 

_‘At least tonight I can finally get some rest...’_ He thinks, and that thought alone is the only thing that gets him through the rest of the day.


	43. Weary Travellers

The nights are a lot colder now that a solid blanket of snow covers the ground. Slowly but surely the white substance made a reappearance as the day grew longer, but the fragile flakes combined with the brutal coastal winds made for a punishing afternoon ride. When it came time for the group to find a place to camp for the evening, the darkness crept its way into existence quickly, making the already impeded vision at night further reduced by the near constant stream of warm breaths condensing like a steady fog. But now, tucked away in the safety of the pines, a sense of serenity encompasses the caravan. The icy precipitation creates a surreal sense of isolation as the constant stream of bulky snow builds up a soft buffer, muffling the natural sounds of the world, making everything feel at peace.

 

It’s surprising how such a short distance into the forest can make such a difference in comfort, but the slight breeze sneaking its way through the trees is still enough to send a shiver down the spines of the watchmen. A few hours have already past since the rest of the members settled in for the night, but ever since the ambush no one wants to take any more chances until they reach the security of another hostel in Luften. The rustling of branches is the only sound that is barely heard over the crackling of the fire, and Phichit can’t help but shuffle a little closer to his companion in order conserve body heat and talk quietly among themselves.

 

“Hey Chris?” He begins, not taking his eyes off of the flames.

 

“Yeah Peach?”

 

“Do you know why Victor’s been acting so weird lately?”

 

“I could ask you the same about Yuuri.”

 

Phichit just rolls his eyes. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. He’s been through a lot lately, do you just expect everything to go back to normal after that?”

 

Chris hums. “I guess not…”

 

“So what about Victor?”

 

The older man hesitates. “It’s… complicated…”

 

Phichit turns his body so that he is now facing the other man directly.

 

“Really? You’re gonna pull that card?”

 

Chris’s green eyes briefly flicker to brown before turning back to their only source of heat. After another moment of silence, the man sighs.

 

“You know what Victor is like. He was invested since day one and he’s been having trouble keeping it under control over the past couple of days, but today I think he was dealing with it a lot better.”

 

“Why just today?” The young man inquires. “It’s not like a switch suddenly flipped in his head overnight.”

 

“Well,” Chris begins, “apparently, a certain someone overheard an interesting tidbit of information coming from two friends who may or may not have known he was there…”

 

The small, tan man narrows his eyes at his friend.

 

“And what, my darling Chris, did he just so happen to hear?”

 

The blonde hesitates before sighing and turning to stare straight into his intense glare, sympathy with a hint of remorse clouding over the normally clear, grassy eyes.

 

“He didn’t know that Yuuri didn’t know that he was gay.”

 

“What!?” Phichit all but yells, trying to keep his voice down. “First of all, how dare he eavesdrop on a private conversation, and second, why the hell does knowing whether or not Yuuri is gay change anything!?”

 

“Well it changed his perspective on their entire relationship so far. All the time they spent together before we left Karnic, plus the night they talked when we left, he thought that that the two of them were just naturally coming together and that all of their conversations were building a foundation for something more, until Yuuri abruptly shut him down. Did Victor overreact that night? Definitely. Did he have all of the information. No. Did he act like a twelve year old asshole? Absolutely. But the weird thing is, now that Yuuri knows he’s gay, regardless of when he figured that out, shouldn’t that have brought the two closer together? They became practically inseparable and now it’s as if Yuuri doesn’t even want to look at Victor. I get that Yuuri has been to hell and back at this point but shouldn’t he feel safe around us? Vic was upset after their conversation that night, and I can understand why he would be a little pissed at the time, but the whole situation was just a huge misunderstanding. However, I don’t think it warrants the boy’s new tendency to simply avoid the man, let alone barely acknowledge Victor’s existence.”

“Wait.” Phichit interrupts. “Are you telling me that Yuuri is still avoiding Victor?”

 

“He has been since we had the huge fight at camp two nights ago.”

 

“That son of bitch.” He mutters.

 

“What?”

 

“Yuuri told me he was going to talk to Victor and clear some things up, but obviously that never happened. That’s why he went out alone that night, he went to go find Victor so that they could talk. Then shit happened and when I asked him about it later he kept saying that he didn’t get the chance. I figured he wasn’t in the right state of mind after everything happened and in the morning he was still keen on holding off until later, but when Victor started acting friendly again I figured they must have talked when Yuuri went shopping.”

 

“No, Vic ended up with me this morning. He told me that Yuuri sent him away so he could shop on his own.”

 

“So you’re telling me that that these two still haven’t talked about any of this?”

 

“Nope. I told Victor to aim for reestablishing their friendship first since they both seem to have been thrown through a loop, but even that is a challenge since Victor feels guilty about the whole misunderstanding. Not to mention he still feels responsible for Yuuri getting hurt in the first place, and considering the boy yelled at him just last night I’m not surprised.”

 

Phichit hums at the new information. “Interesting… I’m pretty sure Yuuri is hiding his own guilt about everything as well… To be honest he hasn’t said much to me about what’s being going on in his mind, but I know something is wrong. He’s exhausted all of the time, barely eats, and I don’t even think he slept more than two hours last night.”

 

“Yeah, I got the same feeling when I watched him almost fall off his horse half a dozen times both today and yesterday.”

 

The tan man sighs. “He has nightmares Chris… I don’t know what exactly they’re about but I know they involve Victor, so maybe that has something to do with why he’s avoiding him. I tried my best to reassure him but I think he gets caught up in his head sometimes.”

 

Chris huffs out a laugh. “Great minds think alike.”

 

Phichit chuckles as well. “And fools rarely differ.”

 

“So do you think there is anything we can do to help? I feel like it would be a bit rude to shove them together and throw everyone’s secrets and feelings out in the open for them to deal with…”

 

“Yeah… I guess we just need to encourage them enough to talk on their own terms…” The young man takes a deep breath in a watches as the warm vapour drifts away on the breeze during the exhale. “So what do you think about all this?”

 

Chris pauses once again, mulling over how crazy their lives have become over the past month.

 

“I can understand where he’s coming from… Where they’re both coming from… But everything is just a different level of insanity at this point… And given the situation I think this is the best that they can do for now until things settle down and get back to normal.”

 

Phichit is just about to build upon the man’s answer but suddenly the pair is interrupted.

 

“You two keeping warm out here?”

 

The two men turn at the familiar voice, just in time to see Seung-gil approaching from behind with Georgi.

 

“It helps if you have a fiery companion.” Chris smirks.

 

Phichit shoves the older man playfully in the arm as the new pair moves to stand around their campfire.

 

“It helps if you actually have a fire too.” He adds.

 

Georgi chuckles. “Good to know. Anything interesting happen while you two were out here?”

 

The two men exchange a look before Phichit quickly answers.

 

“Nope. Just some chit chat. Thanks for taking over you guys.”

 

“No problem. Have a good night!”

 

Finally able to get some rest for the night, Phichit and Chris make their way back over to the clustered group of tents, neither of them saying another word until they stop in front of Chris’ shelter.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night with me, Peach?”

 

The tan man can’t help the rush of blood filling his cheeks at the suggestion, and he quickly looks towards his feet to hide the embarrassed smile he simply can’t contain.

 

“You know I want to,” Phichit begins, “but I don’t think I can leave Yuuri alone right now.”

 

Chris tilts his head back and lets out a deep sigh, creating a plume of wispy smoke that rises up until it disappears.

 

“As much as I hate that response, I understand.” Chris admits, bringing his head back down to stare into bright, brown eyes.

 

The young man gives his warmest smile as he reaches up to cup Chris’ cheeks between his palms.

 

“Thank you.” He whispers, pulling them together for a brief kiss.

 

The blonde eagerly leans into the contact, reaching around to wrap his arms around Phichit’s waist. A few blissful seconds roll by as they remain connected and unconcerned with their surroundings, but before the action can become anything beyond sweet and sentimental, the young man pulls away.

 

“Goodnight Christophe.” Phichit breathes into the space between them.

 

Chris pulls him back in for one more quick peck before leaning back and touching their foreheads together.

 

“Goodnight Peaches. I’ll see you in the morning.”

 

With those final words, the immense warmth that surrounds Phichit suddenly disappears as Chris enters his tent. Now alone, he lets out his own sigh, wrapping his arms around himself to block out the wind trickling through the trees while he silently wishes that he could just follow the older man and curl up in his arms for the night. But he knows that the reason for his absence is important, and so he quickly shakes off the unsettled feeling and heads back to his own dwelling for the night.

 

It only takes Phichit a few seconds to reach the front entrance of his accommodation, but as he reaches for the flap, he finally notices a few pained noises slipping out from inside. Between the wind, the snow, and the tent itself, the short distance must have been far enough to block out any minuscule noises being made, and so he quickly enters the space and secures the fabric behind him. He then immediately turns his attention to his bunkmate for the time being, eyeing Yuuri’s form as the man tosses and turns with his eyes shut tight.

 

_‘Another nightmare…’_ Phichit thinks.

 

He maneuvers himself in the small space until he is sitting next to his friend, one hand running through short black hair while the other finds a hold on the young man’s tightly formed fist. Gently, he tries his best to wake Yuuri up.

 

“Yuuri, can you hear me?” He asks, but as expected, he receives no indication that the man even knows he’s here. “Yuuri, you have to wake up. You’re having a nightmare.” He continues, watching as whatever scenario that is playing through Yuuri’s head seems to only intensify.

 

Feeling utterly useless, he watches as his friend’s muscles twitch and jerk every few seconds, causing his head to whip back and forth as he mutters out unintelligible words.

 

“Whatever it is you’re dreaming about it is not real, okay? I’m right here for you. You just have to wake up, Yuuri.”

 

He moves his one hand down so that it is firmly placed on the sleeping man’s shoulder, still using the other to tightly grasp onto a clenching hand. He continues his efforts to wake Yuuri up, continuously talking and gently trying to ease the man into consciousness. Suddenly, his friend’s body completely tenses up for barely a millisecond before he shoots straight up, eyes blown wide open and breathing heavily as he tries to orient himself. Phichit calmly waits until Yuuri finally acknowledges his presence beside him and it breaks his heart to see his best friend looking completely terrified. The dark circles under Yuuri’s eyes have been getting significantly worse over the past two days, but the current streaks of tears and blotchy pigmentation that is barely visible in the dark tent only makes the puffy shadows stand out even more.

 

Phichit leans in close before pulling his friend into a tight hug, running a hand in soothing circles along the man’s back as he whispers gentle reassurances into his ear. After a few minutes, Yuuri’s breathing finally returns to normal, and he can hear the man sniffling into his shirt before he pulls away to wipe his tears.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” He quietly asks.

 

Yuuri simply shakes his head, but the response makes Phichit frown.

 

“Yuuri, you can’t keep this bottled up. You haven’t had a good night’s rest in three days. If you don’t want to talk to me about it that’s fine, but you need to talk to someone. This isn’t healthy.”

 

He hears the man sniffle once again before a small sob breaks the silence. Yuuri pulls his legs up to his chest and wraps his arms around himself, leaving Phichit to think that he might be trying to avoid the conversation, but the next thing he knows, a tiny, unsure voice mumbles out a few words.

 

“I don’t know if I can…”

 

The tan man quickly grasps onto the olive branch that is offered to him, and he slowly tries to pry open his friend.

 

“You don’t know if you can, what?” Phichit asks. “You don’t know if you can tell me?”

 

Yuuri nods.

 

“Why not?” He asks, but when he doesn’t receive a response he tries again. “Is it something that you think I’m not going to like?”

 

Again, Yuuri nods.

 

“Something that you think might make me change my opinion of you?”

 

This time there is another small sob.

 

“Oh Yuuri.” Phichit coos, moving over in order to sit in front of Yuuri and placing his hands on the man’s arms. “You know there is nothing in this entire world that could make me walk away from you. I don’t care what you think or what anyone else might think. You’re my friend, Yuuri. My best friend. I’m not going to abandon you no matter what you say or do.”

 

Gently, Phichit reaches out to wipe away some of the tears sliding down his friend’s face, and as their eyes connect, he attempts to give the most supportive and caring look towards the older man. It is then that Yuuri finally removes one of his arms that is tightly wrapped around his legs in order to grasp Phichit’s hand, and he rapidly squeezes back just as tight in order to reassure him as much as he possibly can.

 

“You’re right…” Yuuri rasps out. “I haven’t been sleeping, I’ve barely been eating… P, I just don’t know what to do…”

 

“That’s okay. I’m here to help. Why don’t you start at the beginning? When did all of this start?”

 

“Three nights ago…” Yuuri mumbles.

 

“Okay. And what happened three nights ago?” Phichit continues, even though he already knows the answers.

 

“A lot…” The older man says with a sniffle. “I guess the first thing was that I realized I was gay, which was immediately followed by making Victor angry… T-then the boss showed up…”

 

Phichit squeezes his hand even tighter. He is happy that Yuuri is finally talking to him about everything, but he knows that it isn’t going to be easy to go through it all again.

 

“It’s okay. I’m right here.” He whispers.

 

Yuuri gives him a little nod before he continues. “H-he said he came for me… For payback… He said that he was going to hurt everyone because of what he went through when you guys came to get me from the basement…”

 

Phichit watches as his friend’s eyes begin to tear up once more, and the man automatically shifts his gaze to the floor in order to avoid eye contact.

 

“Yuuri, we’ve told you time and time again. None of that was your fault. I know you don’t see it that way, and that you do feel responsible for at least some of it, but consider this, if it was me who was taken, beaten, tortured, sexually assaulted, and put through hell all because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, would you blame me?”

 

“…n-no…” Yuuri weakly forces out.

 

“And if you found me broken, alone, and trying to cope with everything by myself, what would you think? How would that make you feel?”

 

“I– … I wouldn’t want you to be alone…” Yuuri whispers. “I’d feel sad…”

 

“Exactly. I know we haven’t been friends since childhood, but I still care about you, and I hope you feel the same about me.”

 

Again, the older man simply nods.

 

“Now what else happened that night?”

 

All of a sudden Yuuri’s breathing rapidly changes. Instead of the deep, slow breaths that were helping to calm him down, Phichit can hear the sharp, shallow, inhales increase at an alarming rate, and he watches as his friend proceeds to tense every muscle in his body. Yuuri’s brown eyes quickly disappear behind scrunched eye lids, and the desperate gasps for air start to become more pronounced. Phichit quickly moves his hands in order to grip the other man’s shoulders, squeezing gently in order to provide an anchor to the present.

 

“Yuuri, I’m here for you. It’s okay. You’re safe. Just breathe Yuuri. Breathe with me. In, one, two, three, four. Out, one, two, three, four.”

 

This is definitely not the first time Phichit has seen someone panic, in fact, it is not even the first time he has seen Yuuri panic, so he continues his steady grip and verbal guidance for as long as he needs to, until eventually he notices that his friend’s breathing starts to become a little easier. Gradually, he leads Yuuri back to reality, and slowly but surely, the attack passes.

 

“Are you doing okay?” Phichit timidly asks, feeling a little awkward since what he just witnessed points to everything not being okay.

 

Yuuri barely gives him a nod as a response.

 

“Thank you…” The older man quietly murmurs.

 

“Anytime.” Phichit quickly responds with a small smile. “Did you want to talk about it?”

 

Yuuri shakes his head, but now that he’s got the ball rolling he doesn’t plan to let it go so easily.

 

“Does this have anything to do with your nightmares?”

 

Phichit watches closely as the question makes his friend wince, and finally, he starts putting two and two together.

 

_‘Yuuri found out he was gay for Victor, but he still feels guilty about everyone getting hurt because of him… The night of the attack, Victor was carried back by Yuuri, beaten up and barely breathing… The nightmare that happened in Styber had Yuuri screaming out Victor’s name…’_

 

“Yuuri…” Phichit cautiously begins, unsure of how his friend will react. “Are your nightmares about Victor dying?”

 

The next thing he knows Yuuri bursts into tears, hanging his head in between his legs as the deep sobs torment his body. Phichit quickly shuffles to wrap both his arms and legs around his distraught friend and pull him into a secure embrace, carding his fingers through the man’s raven hair as he tries his best to provide a source of comfort and support.

 

"It's always because of me." Yuuri heaves out in between tears. "He was hurt because of me and in my dreams he always dies because of me…”

 

Phichit can’t help but feel his heart break a little for his best friend.

 

“You know that’s not true.” He firmly states. “You saved his life Yuuri. If it wasn’t for you, Victor wouldn’t be here right now, perfectly alive and sleeping only a few tents away. That’s all because of you. There isn’t an ounce of doubt in my body when I say that if you didn’t go looking for him there is a very good chance he would actually be dead.”

 

The tan man almost chokes on his last word as he rushes to say everything Yuuri needs to hear. He’s known Victor for four years and together they have been through more than he could ever imagine, but he knows that since the day he joined the group he has never once regretted it. Over the years they have become a family, and if any one of them was taken away, it would surely break him.

 

_'Chris might want to let them work it out on their own… But I can’t just walk away from this…_

 

“Look. I know you haven’t talked to Victor about anything, and I’m not saying that you have to, but I think that the best thing for you to do is to reassure yourself that he is alive by spending some time with him. You’ve been avoiding him so much that I think it would help to try and be friends right now rather than strangers.”

 

Pulling away, the tan man tries to look into Yuuri’s brown eyes in order to convey how serious he is about the idea, but his friend keeps his head angled toward the floor. On the bright side, his crying has died down once again, but the man remains silent for a few moments, sniffling lightly as Phichit waits for a response. He watches as the older man shuffles in his spot and tucks his legs impossibly closer, looking just as small as he must feel.

 

“He probably hates me though…” Yuuri finally mumbles.

 

“I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that he does not hate you Yuuri.” Phichit confidently replies. “You two were so close when we were in Karnic, I’m sure he’s just giving you a little time for yourself right now after everything that happened.”

 

“But I screamed at him…”

 

“And then he asked if you needed help shopping.”

 

“P, you don’t understand.” The raven haired man states, starting to become agitated. “He made me think of the boss. I don’t know why and I don’t know how, but as soon as he touched me I just-”

 

Yuuri cuts off, suddenly unable to continue.

 

Phichit can only look at his friend with sympathy as the two sit in silence for a little while, the shifting of the tent in the wind the only sound filling the space. The culmination of the kidnapping, the torture, the nightmares, the assault, the lack of sleep, and the overwhelming amount of anxiety must be pushing Yuuri’s limits to the max, and the tan man knows his friend can’t keep this up forever.

 

“Yuuri, please look at me.”

 

The quiet request is almost ignored, but eventually tear stained cheeks and shimmering eyes slowly come into view.

 

“I know you have a lot going on in your mind right now but you need to take a step back for a second. While I’m talking just take some deep breaths to calm down a little and just relax.”

 

A minute nod and a shaky inhale is the only response he gets before he continues.

 

“I want to start off by saying I admire you, Yuuri. I admire you for being able to go through so much and still be here, trying to keep going. We know that the past is in the past and all that’s left to come is the future. There are things we shouldn’t have to worry about anymore like what we ate for lunch today or what colourful insults Yurio threw our way this morning, and the same applies to the big things that happen too. We dealt with the atrocious group and their leader and we know they’re not coming back because they picked a fight they couldn’t win. So let’s check that off of our list for the time being.”

 

Phichit pauses to assess his friend, and Yuuri looks as if he has calmed down quite a bit as he nods along and takes another deep breath.

 

“Now what we have to address is what comes next. What are you going to eat tomorrow morning? Are you going to wear your new coat or not? How many times will Chris call Yurio a little kitten? These little things are the only things you have to think about right now. There is no pressure to worry about anything else, but if something does come up, for the time being just tell yourself that the decision will be made one way or another and that you have a whole team that does way too much planning ahead in the first place. However, if thoughts about the past end up barging in, acknowledge them, accept that it happened, and then run through your day in your head. Paint a picture in your mind about what you saw on the ride that day, or replay a funny conversation you had with someone in your head. There is no need to linger on these dark thoughts, but that doesn’t mean you have to completely disregard them. What happened to you was awful and clearly traumatic, but I believe you are strong enough to learn from your experiences and move on with your head held high and a willpower stronger than you’ve ever had before. Just imagine, Yuuri Katsuki, the great magician that saved his race from oppression even when he was faced with adversity in every way shape and form. To me that Yuuri already exists, we just have to show the world what he’s made of.”

 

Phichit finally ends his little speech. Hoping that he conveyed enough motivation and advise to help guide Yuuri in the right direction. His friend however, is staring at him with wide eyes and a blank look on his face, and the tan man is unsure of what he must be thinking.

 

“Do you believe me?” Phichit finally asks, almost scared to hear the answer.

 

Yuuri simply nods at the information, a small flash of understanding and maybe something more crossing his features in the darkness.

 

“One day at a time?” The raven haired man asks.

 

The younger man grins.

 

“One day at a time.” Phichit confirms. “And if you need anything, come right back to me and I’ll give you as many pep talks as you need.”

 

Yuuri huffs out a quiet chuckle as he wipes his tears away for the last time.

 

“Now, is there any other concerns you want to talk about?”

 

This time, his best friend just shakes his head.

 

“Do you feel any better?”

 

Another nod.

 

“Good.” Phichit says with a smile.

 

“Thanks Phichit… I’m sorry I’m such a mess…”

 

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you would do the same for me.”

 

“In a heartbeat.” Yuuri replies with a small sniffle.

 

The two men stare at each other for another moment before Phichit starts moving back to his side of the tent to lay down.

 

“I think it will be good for you to ride with Mila tomorrow.” He gently suggests, as he pulls back his blanket and slips into his makeshift bed. “Hopefully she’ll be able to help you sleep a little on the road.”

 

Yuuri just hums in response as he readjusts himself in his own bedroll. Taking one last glance at his best friend, Phichit feels better knowing that things will most likely start getting better, but he can only hope that Yuuri will take his advice.

 

“Goodnight Yuuri.” He quietly whispers.

 

“Goodnight Peach.”


End file.
